Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey
by Gundam-Knight-Chris
Summary: Five warriors from five different worlds are brought together to assist the company of Thorin Oakenshield in reclaiming their homeland of Erebor. Can these powerful heroes survive the harsh, magical environment of Middle-earth? (Crossover with XV, XIII, VII, IX, and Explorers)
1. Five Warriors in Middle-earth

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the first chapter to my new crossover consisting of the Hobbit films and Final Fantasy.**

 **This was something I always wanted to do because I liked the Lord of the Rings movies as well as the Hobbit. Final Fantasy is part of my favorite video game series as well.**

 **Moving on, five characters from the video game series will be in it. One from the Final Fantasy Explorers game, one from VII, another from XIII, one from IX, and the other from the newest game, XV. There will also be an OC female elf as well.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Quest**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** Five Warriors in Middle-earth

* * *

 **Amostra (Explorer Universe)**

Sitting in front of a floating blue crystal, a young Explorer clad in the red-bronze colored Telluric Armor and Greaves was looking mighty bored. He had mid-length raven black hair that was tied in a messy ponytail, pale skin, and crimson red eyes. His sword, Flametongue, a scimitar flame-like sword with an undying aura of flame sat by his side after he had finished upgrading it fully despite the backbreaking effort to retrieve the necessary components to forge it. Resting comfortably on his left arm was the Demon Shield, a pavis imbued with demonic power as evidenced by the demonic face on the surface of the shield.

This young Explorer had activated the Grand Crystal after combating thousands of monsters along with the powerful eidolons and even a god-like creature called the Therion.

His name was Sorom, a Freelancer that specialized in the use of many weapons.

But the young man found himself quite bored after there was no more monsters that would give him a challenge. Well, besides the eidolons most of the time, they still put up a decent fight. Heaven knows how many times Odin and Bahamut kept knocking him down with their most powerful attacks. Ifrit was just a battle-crazy lunatic that had no sense at all. Shiva would act flirty whenever he fought her… It was difficult not to watch when she suggestively began to remove her bikini.

Despite that, Sorom decided to go on one more adventure in the world. He stepped onto the airship and plotted a course for Lake Filouz, it was always his favorite place to visit when he was exploring.

A half hour later, the airship had landed at Lake Filouz as Sorom disembarked, his sword at the ready. "Well, let's see what we got." He muttered to himself as he began his exploration.

He couldn't stay out long, only an hour of searching and gathering materials from different monsters that appeared in the different parts of the land.

Sighing, Sorom walks around the lake, swinging Flametongue to cleave a goblin monster in half. "Etro above, is there something I can do?" He said to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, the young Explorer could make out a slight glow coming from in the water of the lake.

"What's that?" Sorom muttered to himself as he walked over to the light. The object in question was revealed to be a pure white crystal shard. The warrior grasped the item and brought it up. "A crystal?"

The shard shined brightly before engulfing Sorom in its light. Once the light dimmed, the Explorer was gone. No trace of him anywhere at all.

* * *

 **Gaia (VII Universe)**

A man in his early-twenties rode upon a streamlined black motorcycle. He had spiky blonde hair, glowing greenish-blue eyes, light skin, and a sort of scowl on his youthful face. He wore a high collar sleeveless black shirt, black pants and boots, and black cloth covering his left leg and arm. He also wears a black shoulder pauldron on his left shoulder, and his chest is covered by two straps, held in place by a badge representing Fenrir. He also has a pink ribbon tied around his left arm though it is hidden underneath the long sleeve.

His name is Cloud Strife, the guardian of the Lifestream and now a delivery boy for Strife Delivery Services.

It had been three years since he had fought Sephiroth and defeated him, survived the Meteor fall after Holy had been cast upon the world-destroying black materia. Then two years after that day, he fought against the remnants of Sephiroth and the former SOLDIER himself once again. Then the year after that, he helped his comrade, Vincent Valentine, defeat a rogue element of Shinra known as Deepground.

So now, here he was, done with all the battles that had grown weary on his body especially after being cured of Geostigma, the virus that was slowly killing him. He was content to live out his days delivering mail and packages just to support the Seventh Heaven bar that Tifa owned.

Denzel and Marlene would be anxious to see him again. Plus, he got them early birthday presents as well on his delivery runs.

Out of the corner of his eyes, however, he noticed something shining. With his enhanced eyesight, it was easy for him to make out an outline of some sort of crystal.

Stopping his bike, the blonde approached the glowing gem and picked it up. It glowed an eerie sea green and almost looked like materia. "What is this?" He asked no one in particular.

However, the crystal glowed brighter than before, blinding the Ex-SOLDIER and engulfing him in its light. Once it dimmed, the blonde was nowhere in sight. The only evidence of his existence being his black motorcycle.

* * *

 **Cocoon (XIII Universe)**

A young woman with wavy rose-colored hair, and pale aqua eyes released a brief grunt after slicing a tree trunk clean through. She wore a silver and gold Valkyrie-like suit of armor with a shield on her left arm. She held in her right hand, an intricate gunblade written with scripture of Etro branded along the blade.

This young woman is Claire Farron, also known as Lightning by her comrades and friends.

She had been a part of the Guardian Corps. A sort of military police that kept the peace in her hometown of Bodhum. That all changed when her sister revealed to her on her twenty first birthday that she was a Pulse-branded l'Cie and that she was marrying a juvenile delinquent that wanted to play hero. It didn't end well…

After that, she along with her comrades were caught up in an unexpected journey as Pulse-branded l'Cie, the enemies of Cocoon.

Then when they had successfully defeated Orphan and two of her friends sacrificed themselves to become the crystal pillar that bounded Cocoon and Pulse together, the party was able to take in the brief peace after their many battles.

However, Lightning's mission wasn't over quite yet. She had been chosen by the Goddess Etro to defend her against the forces of chaos and the man leading them, her rival, Caius Ballad.

She relied on her sister, Serah and a youth named Noel to save time and space from the chaotic darkness. Only to discover, that she herself was the one who had been destined to be the Savior of the human race.

For many centuries she had slept, only to come back in order to send the souls of many humans onto the next world with the help of Hope, a boy she had befriended on their first journey together. Throughout her task in altering time to slow the final days of the world's destruction, Lightning had to fight an alter ego of her sister, some of her old friends, and even other fal'Cie.

That's when she understood the real reason behind her quest, to guide humans into the next world to be made servants to gods once more. She rejected this and fought against the one who had led her astray, Bhunivelze.

After the God of Light's death, she and her friends along with the many survivors of humanity were transported to live in peace on the new world.

Lightning had long since stopped fighting, but the instinct to train was always there in her core. Just like now even as she travels the land to find her friends.

She wore her old armor, took up her weapons, and began training in a quiet forest. Her movements elegant, graceful, but deadly. On the last strike, the pinkette released a final breath and holstered her gunblade, Overture.

"Might as well take a break. I could use a hot shower after this." The Savior spoke, wiping away a bead of sweat from her forehead.

However, her aqua blue eyes noticed a red glow above. Instinctively, she caught the glowing object in her hand, a look of interest scanning it.

It looked to be a crystal rosehead colored red yet pink at the same time. It almost reminded Lightning of the gem she used to summon her faithful Eidolon, Odin. Memories of the large mechanical knight brought a sense of nostalgia to the young woman.

However, the crystal glowed brighter than before, blinding the Savior and engulfing her in its light. Once the light had dimmed, Lightning was nowhere in sight.

* * *

 **Lindblum (IX Universe)**

A boy with layered blond hair tied into a short ponytail, blue eyes and a prehensile monkey-like tail stretched his body after taking a relaxing nap in a tree. He wears a white sleeveless shirt under a short teal vest topped with leather accents at the shoulders and back, while the front has a lacy white jabot topped with a green ribbon tied in a bow, blue jodhpur pants, a tan belt, light green gloves with large blue cuffs, and a pair of light green and white cuffed ankle boots with a low heel.

The boy, Zidane Tribal, brought up his twin short swords, the Mage Mashers, gave them a twirl then sent them away after he leaped from the tree he was resting upon.

Unlike others, Zidane wasn't human, he was in fact, a part of a race of artificial humans made to be the vessels for Terrans after a failed experiment to unite Gaia and Terra.

He had been created to become the 'Angel of Death' to incite a war on Gaia, however, he had been raised by the humans of Gaia after being abandoned by Kuja, a Genome who had been deemed inferior to him by the man who created them, Garland.

As such, he had been raised to be friendly and caring towards others but at the same time, he had a mischievous side to him. Such a side helped him battle against those that sought to harm his friends and loved ones on Gaia.

Right now, however, Zidane, being the thief he had been trained as, wanted more adventure.

And boy did he get that…

Out of the corner of his eye, a yellow stone glowed on the ground. Curious, the blonde leaned down to get a closer look at it, however, the moment he placed a finger on it, the glow intensified, engulfing the boy in its light. Once the light dimmed, Zidane was gone.

* * *

 **Eos (XV Universe)**

A svelte young man standing at five foot nine with spiky black hair and blue eyes sat in the room he and his friends reside in. He wears a black jacket with skull-motif buttons and sequenced details on pockets. He keeps it unzipped and the tag on the zipper also has a small skull. Underneath he wears a steel gray shirt with skull prints, black cropped trousers and black buckled boots with red soles, and a black motorcycle glovelet on his left hand.

Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Crown Prince and heir to the throne of Lucis, had always been a shy young man. Despite this, he played it off by 'acting cool' in front of everyone but because of this, he had few friends. The ones he bonded more with were his advisor, Ignis. His bodyguard, Gladiolus. And his best friend from high school, Prompto.

When he turned twenty, he and his friends had set out to commit the union of Noctis and his bride-to-be, Lunafreya in marriage. On this journey, he learns of Insomnia, the capital of Lucis, had been attacked and conquered by Niflheim, a much more technologically adept and advanced nation that sought the Lucian crystal.

A message from Cor had informed Noctis and his friends that the Crown Prince must seek out thirteen royal arms wielded by the ancient kings of old.

After collecting the pieces, the group rested at a small town inn. Prompto exploring the area to take photos while Ignis and Gladio had gone to gather supplies.

It was always good to be with his friends… No, his brothers. He would have to thank Umbra for granting him the ability to travel back into the past with a whole lot of doggy treats.

Some would be wondering how he got such an ability… Well, that would be an incredibly long tale to explain.

"So bored…" The prince muttered to himself, laying back on his bed, that is until a strange purple glow emanated next to his nightstand. "Huh?"

It looked to be a sort of crystal sphere colored a brilliant amethyst. Interested in this mysterious gem, the young man placed a hand on the crystal only to shield his eyes when it glowed brighter, engulfing him in its light. Once the light was gone, so was the Crown Prince.

* * *

 **Forest of Bree (Middle-Earth Universe)**

A flash of light ignited in the forest as five figures fell to the ground.

"Ouch…" Sorom groaned as he rubbed his head. "Reminds me of a Gravity attack."

"Oh, my head…" Zidane massaged his temples.

Lightning stood up albeit a bit wobbly but kept her balance.

Cloud only felt a bit of nausea but held himself together. "Where am I?"

Noctis moaned in despair. "My head is spinning…"

The five then noticed each other then back stepped away in surprise.

Sorom brought up Flametongue, the scarlet red blade gleaming in the sunlight. "So who the hell are you?" He questioned with narrowed eyes.

"I should be asking you that." Lighting glared at the four young men around her. Overture at the ready.

"Seconded." Cloud added in quietly, Vigilante and Vendetta brought to bear.

Zidane, suspicious at first, decided to play his usual friendly demeanor. "Hold on now, let's all calm down. Why don't we introduce ourselves?" He smiled cheekily at the other four warriors. "The name's Zidane, Zidane Tribal! Professional thief and all-around good guy." He boasted.

The Crown Prince, his Engine Blade out in his right hand, lowered his combat stance. "Noctis Lucis Caelum. Call me Noct for short." He replied, his face neutral as he dispersed his sword.

Cloud sheathed his blades within their respective holsters. "Cloud Strife."

The pinkette however still seemed wary of the men, she lowered her stance but not her weapon. "Lightning."

"Sorom." The Explorer replied, his senses telling him that the four people in front of him were dangerous but at the same time trustworthy. "So, are you Explorers as well?"

"Huh?" Zidane raised a brow in confusion.

"What's that?" Noctis questioned.

Sorom blinked in confusion as well. "What? You're not Explorers?" He asked.

"No, I'm a thief." The Genome answered with a wide grin.

"I've never even heard of Explorers." Lightning admitted.

Noctis shrugged. "I'm a prince so I have no idea what that even is."

"Ex-SOLDIER." Cloud stated.

"What's that?" Sorom questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Superhuman warrior." The buster sword-wielding blonde answered.

"Huh, neat." Sorom hummed.

"What, not the strangest thing you've seen?" Noctis joked.

Sorom grimaced, remembering the eidolon Shiva. The numerous times she would try to flirt with him and get in his pants. One time when he was frozen, he was treated to a _show_ by the ice woman. "Something like that." He replied.

"Here's an important question: Where the heck are we?" Zidane questioned.

"Excuse me." An elderly voice spoke to the five warriors as they turned to the source to notice that it was an old man with a long beard and hair with dark eyes. He was outfitted in gray robes with a pointy hat on top. In his right hand he carried a staff made completely out of some type of wood. "Pardon my intrusion in your conversation but you children seem strangely outlandish. Are you perhaps from some far away land?"

"You could say that." The group spoke in unison.

"Well, it is quite pleasant to see new faces here in Middle-earth." The old man suddenly gasped in realization. "Oh yes, I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey." He gave the otherworlders a curtsy bow.

"My name is Sorom. I'm an Explorer from Amostra." The black-haired warrior nodded his head in respect at the elderly man.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum. I'm the Crown Prince of Lucia."

"Cloud Strife. Ex-SOLDIER."

"Lightning. Former Savior."

"Zidane Tribal! Best thief in Lindblum and resident good guy."

Gandalf was quite confused on the various attire of a few of the travels but dismissed it. "In my days, such strange occupations can sometimes refer to one's skills. I trust you know how to defend yourselves?"

"Well, I'm proficient in different types of weaponry so yes." Sorom nodded.

"The swords are not for show," Cloud remarked.

Noctis shrugged, uncaring.

Lightning revealed her gunblade and shield.

Zidane grinned cheekily while twirling his Mage Mashers.

Gandalf chuckled. "Then I'd like to hire you, if you'd like?" He asked.

"Depends on the job." Cloud said.

"Have any of you ever slain a dragon?" Gandalf questioned.

"Hundreds." Sorom replied bluntly.

"In a sense," Noctis said with a shrug.

"That a trick question?" Cloud sarcastically remarked.

"Does a dragon war god count?" Lightning stated.

Zidane thought it over. "I think I have."

Gandalf blinked in confusion but shrugged it off. "Then I suppose you're hired. Come along, we must get to Bree before the storm arrives." He said, walking towards a horse wagon with a brown stallion situated at it.

The otherworlders glanced at each other then shrugged, climbing into the wagon only to find hundreds of fireworks.

"Uh, Gandalf, what's with the party favors?" Sorom questioned, picking up a firework.

Gandalf gave the party a sly glance and smirked. "I'm a traveling entertainer as well as a wizard. It's a good hobby when you're not busy worrying about the problems of Middle-earth."

"What kind of problems?" Lightning asked.

"The kind that could lead to the death of all men, elves, hobbits, dwarves, and the rest of life as we know it." The wizard answered.

"Sweet Etro, that sounds worse than the Therion…" Sorom muttered.

"I've faced worse," The former Savior remarked, remembering her hand at slaying God himself.

"Oh, we had something far worse than that, my dear girl." Gandalf remarked while grey clouds began to appear overhead.

"How worse?" Zidane asked with a curious look on his face.

"My boy, I pray you and your friends never know." The old man replied.

"Uh, we're not exactly friends. Merely acquaintances." Sorom pointed out.

The other four warriors nodded in agreement.

"Well, we're almost there. Just a few minutes till dark and we'll be at the Prancing Pony where the person I'm looking for will go to." Gandalf remarked with a slight cheerful smile despite the drizzle beginning to rain down.

The wagon eventually came in view of a town from the medieval ages, complete with a wooden gate as well.

"Welcome to Bree, my young friends." Gandalf said to the group of five.

"Home-y." Noctis spoke bluntly.

"Don't believe that's a word." Sorom pointed out while Gandalf parks his wagon at the stables to get the horse watered and fed.

"At least it's better than some of the towns I've passed through." Cloud stated.

Lightning huffed while Zidane yawned after taking a nap in the wagon.

"No time for chit-chat now. We're here." Gandalf reminded the duo as he pointed his staff at an inn with a sign having a horse on it that was labeled 'Prancing Pony'. The trio went inside and found themselves seeing a lot of men drinking, laughing, and chatting with a few women, old and young, added in the mix. Sorom even caught sight of a small man with hairy, big feet and slightly pointed ears being lifted up onto a stood with a smoking pipe in hand. In all honesty, the small man looked like a child.

Gandalf led the otherworlders to an empty table while a pretty young woman brought the group of six pints of ale. "There you go." She replied.

"Thank you." Sorom said with a grin then gave the woman a bag of about five hundred gil. Gandalf had told them that their currency was gold and silver so they had no problem with their money.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions concerning the quest?" Gandalf asked.

"Well, it would clear things up a little." Sorom muttered.

"What's the job?" Cloud asked, getting right down to business.

Nodding, Gandalf took a sip of his ale. "Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning. It began in the city of Dale. Its markets were known far and wide. Full of the bounties of vine and cale. Peaceful and prosperous. For this city lay before the doors of the greatest kingdom in Middle-earth: Erebor. Stronghold of Thror, King Under the Mountain. Mightiest of the Dwarf Lords."

"Huh, never met a dwarf before. I mean, I've seen Moogles if they're about a dwarf's size but I don't think it is." Sorom said.

Hearing the word 'moogles' seemed to spark different reactions from the five otherworlders. Some with fond memories others with irritated memories.

"Moving on," Gandalf interjected. "Thror ruled with utter surety never doubting his house would endure for his line lay secure in the lives of his son and grandson. Erebor was built deep within the mountain itself… the beauty of this fortress city was legend. Its wealth lay in the earth in precious gems hewn from rock and in great seams of gold running like rivers through stone. The skill of the Dwarves was unequaled, fashioning objects of great beauty out of diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Ever they delved deeper, down into the dark. And that is where they found it. The Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone. Thror named it 'The King's Jewel'. He took it as a sign, a sign that his right to rule was divine. All would pay homage to him even the great Elven King, Thranduil. As the great wealth of the Dwarves grew, their store of goodwill ran thin. No one knows exactly what began the rift. The Elves say that the Dwarves stole their treasure. The dwarves tell another tale. They say the Elf king refused to give them the rightful pay. It is sad how old alliances can be broken and how friendships can be lost, and for what? But the years of peace and plenty were not to last, slowly the days turned sour and the watchful nights closed in. Thror's love of gold had grown too fierce. A sickness had begun to grow within him. It was a sickness of the mind and where sickness thrives, bad things will follow. The first they heard was a noise like a hurricane coming down from the North. The pines on the mountain creaked and cracked in the hot, dry wind. It was a firedrake from the North. Smaug had come."

"What's that?" Zidane questioned.

"A fire dragon." Sorom answered. "You know, ones that fly and breath fire like a regular dragon."

Gandalf rolled his eyes then continued the tale. "Such wanton death was dealt that day. For this city of Men was nothing to Smaug. His eye was set on another prize. For dragons covet gold with a dark and fierce desire. Erebor was lost. For a dragon will guard his plunder as long as he lives. Thranduil would not risk the lives of his kin against the wrath of the dragon. No help from the Elves came that day nor any day since." He continued.

"What happened to the dwarves?" Sorom asked.

"Robbed of their homeland, the Dwarves of Erebor wandered the wilderness, a once mighty people brought low. The young Dwarf prince took work where he could find it, laboring in the villages of Men. But always he remembered the mountain smoke beneath the moon, the trees like torches blazing bright. For he had seen dragon fire in the sky and a city turned to ash, and he never forgave and he never forgot." The old man finished.

"Wow, that's… deep," Sorom commented.

"Yeah…" Cloud muttered… before taking a bite out of an apple.

"So, will you take up on this quest?" Gandalf asked.

Sorom nodded. "You've got my attention. If this thing really is the cause then I'll help slay it." He replied, downing his ale.

"I'll help however I can." Noctis answered.

"Seems I won't be able to go home if I don't, so I'll join you." Cloud reluctantly agreed.

"Count me in!" Zidane grinned.

"I'll help." Lightning responded, crossing her arms over her breastplate.

"Wonderful and it seems the dwarf we're looking for has arrived." Gandalf said as the doors from the entrance opened. There stood a dwarf with slightly greying black hair that looked like it needed a major trim with a short beard and dark eyes. He was outfitted in numerous furs and a cloak that looked drenched. On his back was a sword that in the otherworlders' eyes seemed to be the size of a short sword.

"Who's that?" The monkey-tailed teen whispered.

"You'll find out soon enough, dear boy." The wizard answered as the dwarf sat at a table while the same woman brought him food and a mug of ale.

The party noticed two men were staring at the dwarf. They got up from their seats and began to approach him. The dwarf assumed the men to be assassins and reached for his sword to defend himself.

"Mind if I join you?" Gandalf asked as he got to the dwarf before the two men did. "I'll have the same." He told the waitress.

After the old man introduced himself to the dwarf, the otherworlders listened from a distance. "I know who you are."

"Well, now. This is a fine chance. What brings Thorin Oakenshield to Bree?" Gandalf questioned.

"Wait, the Dwarf prince?" Sorom whispered in confusion.

"I received word that my father had been seen wandering the Wilds near Dunland. I went looking. I found no sign of him." Thorin explained.

"Ah… Thrain." Gandalf sighed in remembrance.

Thorin gave the old wizard a condescending look. "You're like the others? You think he's dead?"

"I was not at the battle of Moria." Gandalf stated firmly.

"No, but I was," Thorin began recalling his past. "My grandfather, Thror, was slain. My father led the charge towards the Dimrill Gate, he never returned. Thrain is gone, they told me, he's one of the fallen. But in the end of the battle, I searched amongst the slain to the last body. My father was not among the dead."

"Thorin, it's been a long time since anything but rumor was heard of Thrain." Gandalf consulted.

' _So these guys are friends? Who knew?'_ Cloud thought to himself.

"He still lives. I'm sure of it." Thorin pressed on.

"The ring your grandfather wore. One of the seven given to the Dwarf Lords many years ago… What became of it?" Gandalf questioned.

"He gave it to my father before they went into battle." Thorin answered.

Gandalf had a thoughtful look. "So Thrain was wearing it when he went missing…"

Thorin leaned in. "My father came to see you before he went missing. What did you say to him?"

"I urged him to march upon Erebor, to rally the seven armies of the Dwarves to destroy the dragon and take back the Lonely Mountain. And I would say the same to you. Take back your homeland." The old man urged the Dwarf prince.

Thorin looked at the wizard with a calculative expression. "This is no chance meeting, is it, Gandalf?"

"No. It is not. The Lonely Mountain troubles me, Thorin. That dragon has sat there long enough. Sooner or later, darker minds will turn towards Erebor. I ran into some unsavory characters whilst traveling on the Greenway. They mistook me for a vagabond." Gandalf explained.

"That's one way of putting it." Lightning muttered.

The others nod in agreement.

"I imagine they regretted that." Thorin said jokingly.

Gandalf took out a leaf-shaped sheet of parchment. "One of them was carrying a message. It is Black Speech. A promise of payment."

"For what?" The Dwarf prince questioned.

"Your head." The grey-robed wizard replied. "Someone wants you dead. Thorin, you can wait no longer. You are the heir to the Throne of Durin. Unite the armies of the Dwarves. Together, you have the might and power to retake Erebor. Summon a meeting of the seven Dwarf families. Demand they stand by their oath."

"The seven armies swore that oath to the one who wields the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone. It is the only thing that will unite them, and in case you have forgotten that jewel was stolen by Smaug." Thorin reminded the old man.

Gandalf gave Thorin a small grin. "What if I were to help you reclaim it?" He spoke in a tone strictly of business.

"How? The Arkenstone lies half a world away buried beneath the feet of a fire-breathing dragon." Thorin wondered with a bit of irritation.

"Yes, it does. Which is why we're going to need a burglar." Gandalf came up with his solution.

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

The innkeeper gave room and board to the otherworlders for the night while Gandalf retires as well. Sorom had spent the rest of the evening checking the crystal he held onto as well as his Magicite then slept at a quarter till midnight. Cloud used a whetstone to keep his blades sharpened and ready for any conflicts ahead. Noctis and Zidane immediately went to sleep. Lightning, who had gotten a room for herself, took a much needed hot bath and slept for the rest of the night.

Once daybreak came, the otherworlders were downstairs eating a quick breakfast while Gandalf came downstairs with his pipe.

"Man, I haven't slept that good in months. The only time I've ever slept like that is when I'm not constantly in danger." Noctis said with a smile on his face.

"Well, Master Noctis, you'll be happy to know that I've made preparations for our next destination of travel." The wizard stated, puffing out a few rings of smoke.

"Where at?" Sorom asked as he munched on a roll.

"Why the Shire, of course. The land of the Hobbits." Gandalf chuckled.

"And what are hobbits?" Cloud asked.

"That, young man, is what you will have to wait and see. Come along now, it's a few miles away from Bree and we should be there by lunchtime." The wizard said, already out the door.

Sorom quickly finished up his meal and paid for the food. "Gandalf, wait!" He called out, following after the old man.

"Yes?" Gandalf asked.

"Well, who exactly is going to be the burglar for this expedition?" The Explorer questioned.

The old wizard patted the boy's shoulder. "Master Sorom, the hobbit we're going to see was once an adventurous little one the last time I saw him. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to go on this quest."

"Well, if you say so." The red-eyed freelancer replied as he entered the wagon. Cloud, Zidane, Noctis, and Lightning followed soon after him while Gandalf had saddled up his horse then went to the front and got the stallion moving with a quick click of his tongue.

* * *

 **Hobbiton (The Shire)**

As Gandalf's cart arrived, the wizard had dropped the otherworlders off to meet the people. Sorom had decided to change out of his Telluric Armor and swapped it for his Wanderer's Jacket along with the Novice Boots as well. Just in case, he summoned one of his daggers, Rune Steel, and placed it on the belt of his pants.

The hobbits were overly friendly, despite the party being Men in their eyes, they were welcomed like neighbors. It was relaxing and heart-warming.

"This is a nice place. My home was like this but never this peaceful." Sorom commented with a grin.

"Though it's strange to see so many child-sized people running about." Lightning commented.

"Excuse me!" A male hobbit bypassed the five warriors, carrying three boxes that seemed to be quite heavy for him before his foot caught on a branch. "Oh dear!"

Zidane reacted quickly by catching the hobbit while Cloud caught the crates. "Whoa, careful there. If you wanted help, you could have asked. We'd have been happy to lend a hand."

"Oh, well, thank you very much, lad." The hobbit said as he stood up and dusted himself off. He had shaggy brown hair and almond-colored eyes, his face was quite rugged as well to signal his age being somewhere in his thirties. His attire consisted of a plain white shirt with blue overalls. Like other hobbits, he was barefoot.

"The name's Zidane Tribal," The young man said as he easily lifted two of the boxes into his arms and looked at the hobbit. "So where do you want these, Mr…"

"Took, Baladin Took. And just follow me, lads and lass." Baladin told the party of five as he led them to what could be a grocery stand. The otherworlders placed the crates down. "Thank you, dear boy. You've certainly helped this hobbit on this day. So, I think you all deserve a reward." He opened the crates to reveal that they were a large amount of sweets. "It's my wife's baking, she's quite handsy with her sweets."

"Wow, um, I don't know what to say." Sorom muttered.

"Thank you, you are too kind." Noctis said with a smile.

"Here you go, young ones. Some of my wife's lemon scones." Baladin grinned, handing the otherworlders a plate of lemon scented cookies. "Hope you both have a pleasant afternoon."

The group thanked the hobbit, leaving Hobbiton to follow Gandalf, eating the sweets along the way.

"Mmm, these are pretty good." Sorom commented, munching on one of the scones.

"I bet Ignis would love to get his hands on this recipe," Noctis remarked.

"It's not bad." Lightning admitted while Cloud hummed in agreement.

Zidane… was pigging out on the entire plate.

* * *

 **Nighttime (Bag-End)**

The otherworldly party came upon the hobbit hole Gandalf had marked and knocked. The door opened soon after to reveal a young hobbit with wild brown hair, brown eyes, and a slightly rugged face. He was dressed in what could have been a night robe.

"Can I help you?" The hobbit asked, confused as to why four young men and a young woman were at his home.

"Uh, yes, you see, we're looking for a Bilbo Baggins?" Sorom responded.

"Yes, that's who I am, but do I know you?" Bilbo asked.

"No, but may we come in. It's a bit chilly out here." The Explorer replied.

Bilbo didn't know what was going on but he allowed the party to enter his home. They had to duck their heads to keep from bumping the ceiling and chandelier.

"This is gonna kill my neck…" Sorom muttered with a grimace.

Cloud had a little trouble due to his many swords strapped to his waist.

"Not a bad place to live in." Zidane commented, not really needing to duck his head all that much due to his height.

"For a hobbit hole that is." Lightning added.

"Well, thank you. Would you, uh, like something to drink?" Bilbo asked, going into his dining room.

"I'll just have a cup of tea please." Sorom replied.

"None for me, thanks." Noctis answered.

Cloud, Zidane, and Lightning gave their own polite refusals.

Bilbo nodded and quickly walked into his kitchen to retrieve a tea set. Once he returned, he poured a cup of tea into one then handed it over to the Explorer of the party.

While Sorom his tea as well as snack on what's left of the lemon scones, there was a knocking at the door. When Bilbo answered, he was greeted by a bald dwarf with a braided black beard and thinning hair around his cranium with dark eyes as well. He was dressed in an outfit of leather and furs, carrying what could be a warhammer on his back. "Dwalin, at your service." He bowed at the hobbit.

Said hobbit looked greatly confused. "Bilbo Baggins, at yours. Do we know each other?" He asked.

"No." Dwalin entered the home. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?" He questioned, strolling down the hallways.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked.

"Dwalin," The dwarf responded before giving the five a once over. "You must be the lads and lass that wizard hired. You don't look like much."

Lightning folded her arms over her breastplate. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Dwalin didn't know what she meant but didn't care as long as the humans could fight. Bilbo led the dwarf to the dining room, unfortunately, watching Dwalin eating the meal he had prepared for himself along with a few rolls of bread.

"Does he know the word courtesy?" Zidane whispered to Sorom.

The Explorer shrugged. "Hey, I don't know anything about dwarves mannerisms."

While Dwalin was eating, Bilbo heard the doorbell ring again. Once he opened it, it was revealed to be an older dwarf with frizzled grey hair and a long grey beard as well. He seemed to be dressed more casual. "Balin, at your service." He gave the hobbit a courtesy bow.

Bilbo looked at the old dwarf but answered politely. "Good evening."

"Yes. Yes, it is. Though I think it might rain later." Balin stated as he entered the house.

"Hm?" Bilbo released in confusion.

"Am I late?" The dwarf asked.

"Late for what?" Bilbo questioned in return, confusion written all over his face.

"Oh! Ha, ha! Evening, brother," Balin called out to Dwalin, who was rummaging his hand in a jar of cookies before stopping.

"By my beard…" The black haired dwarf started with a nostalgic grin as he walked over to the shorter dwarf. "You're shorter and wider than last we met." The two chuckled.

"Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us." Balin said jokingly with a sly wink. The two brothers place their hands on each other's shoulders then banged their foreheads without injuring themselves.

"That's a… strange greeting." Sorom remarked.

"I've seen stranger." The blonde Ex-SOLDIER commented.

"Uh, excuse me? Sorry, I hate to interrupt. But the thing is, I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house." Bilbo tried to get the dwarves attention only to be ignored.

"Have you eaten?" Dwalin asked as the two brothers searched the pantry.

"It's not like I don't like visitors. I like visitors as much as the next Hobbit." Bilbo tried speaking up, to interject in the dwarves conversation. "But I do like to know them before they come visiting." He was still being ignored.

"What is this?" Dwalin questioned.

"I don't know." Balin shrugged. The dwarf looked at the object. "I think it's cheese. Gone blue."

"It's riddled with mold." Dwalin replied.

"The thing is, I don't know either of you. Not in the slightest." Bilbo's tone turned apologetic. "I don't mean to be blunt but I had to speak my mind. I'm sorry." This caught the dwarves' attention.

"Apology accepted." Balin said to the hobbit. "Now, fill it up, brother, don't stint." The dwarf turned to his brother.

"I can't see the resemblance." Zidane whispered.

"You want to ask the dwarf carrying the big hammer that?" Lightning sarcastically whispered back.

"Good point." The thief whispered back.

Bilbo seemed to give up on trying to convince them until he heard his doorbell ring once again. Opening the door, he was meet with two young dwarves who looked like they could be in their early twenties. One of them wore dark clothing and sported long brown hair that reached his shoulder blades with a beard that was starting to form along with brown eyes. The other wore slightly brighter clothing in contrast with his brother and possessed dirty blonde hair that was braided along with his own small beard with the same dark eyes as the dark-clothed dwarf.

"Fili." The braided dwarf introduced.

"And Kili." The brown haired dwarf finished.

They both bowed politely. "At your service." Speaking at the same time.

"You must be Mr. Boggins." Kili smiled brightly despite getting Bilbo's name incorrect.

"Nope! You can't come in." The hobbit told them quickly. "You've come to the wrong house." He was about to close the door until the younger of the two stopped him.

"What?" Kili started. "Has it been canceled?"

"No one told us." Fili added with a suspicious look on his face.

Bilbo looked at them with bewilderment. "No, nothing's been canceled."

"That's a relief." Kili responded with a grin as he barged his way in. Fili followed after his brother while Bilbo looked close to facepalming himself.

"Careful with these. I just had them sharpened." Fili said as he handed the hobbit a couple of sheathed dwarven blades.

"It's nice, this place." Kili complimented the interior of Bilbo's home. "Did you do it yourself?" He asked while using a box to scrap off a brown stain from the underside of his boot.

"What? No, it's been in the family for years." Bilbo answered before noticing what Kili was doing. "That's my mother's glory box. Can you please not do that?"

Dwalin came in soon after. "Fili, Kili. Come on, give us a hand." He signaled the two brothers to follow him.

"Mr. Dwalin." Kili started, grinning like a fool. "Ha, ha."

Dwalin led the two young dwarfs into the dining room where Balin was trying to move the table. "Shove this in the hallway. Otherwise we'll never get everyone in." The grey haired dwarf told his compatriots.

"You must be Sorom, Noctis, Cloud, Zidane, and Lightning, the party that Gandalf hired." Fili spoke to the otherworlders.

Sorom nodded in greeting. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You any good with a sword?" Cloud asked.

"I am." Fili replied then gestured to Kili. "He's good with both a blade and a bow."

"Kill anything tough?" Lightning challenged.

"Killed orcs. Vicious blocs those things be." Fili answered.

"Everyone? How many more are there?" Bilbo questioned still holding Fili's blades in his arms. The doorbell rang again only this time, Bilbo was more irritated. "No. No. There's nobody home!" He unceremoniously drops the blades in a pile then storms over to the front door. "Go away and bother somebody else. There's far too many dwarves and men in my dining room as it is. If this is some clothead's idea of a joke…" He scoffed then grasped the doorknob. "I can only say it is in very poor taste."

Once the door was opened, eight more dwarves fell in a heap on the floor.

"Get off, you big lump!" One dwarf yelled from beneath the bunch. A familiar wizard's head peeked inside.

"Gandalf." The hobbit muttered when he noticed the old man.

"Just how many people are coming?" Noctis asked as he blinked his eyes owlishly.

"I think that's practically all of them." The Explorer replied, sipping his tea.

"Wait, we're missing one." Zidane said before he paused. "Where's Thorin?"

"Late I suppose." The Explorer deadpanned while looking at the high jinks that Bilbo had to deal with when the dwarves started grabbing all of the food and drink from the hobbit's pantry.

The otherworlders shrugged then decided to join in on setting up the table for what could have been a meeting of sorts. One particular dwarf wearing a cap named Bofur was quite hilarious along with his obese brother Bombur. Their cousin Bifur, the dwarf with an axe in his head spoke something that the party couldn't understand except Gandalf.

Soon after, the twelve dwarves along with Gandalf began having their dinner using whatever was in front of them. Zidane had snagged a few rolls of bread and handed one to each of his new companions, the five of them eating quietly while the dwarfs ate and laughed like old family friends.

"Seems like a family reunion." Cloud inquired before taking a bite.

"Well, I guess dwarves are more friendly with one another." The Lucian Prince stated, biting his roll.

"That's a given." Lightning muttered.

"No chance. Not from that distance." Dwalin said as he tore into a chicken leg.

"Wanna bet?" Bofur asked the older dwarf before looking at his brother. "Bombur, catch!" He tossed the bun at the chubby dwarf, who caught it with his mouth which received cheers from all of the dwarves.

Fili walked on the table, knocking over a few plates with mugs of beer in his hands. "Who wants an ale?"

"I said have another drink." Dwalin told his deaf friend. "Here you go." He poured ale into the pipe causing the dwarf to blow out of it as the drink squirted out.

The five otherworlders either laughed, chuckled or grinned at the friendly banter between the dwarves.

After dinner, Sorom decided to help clean up the dishes while Bombur was still eating. "Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth." Bilbo said in annoyance as he took said cloth from Bifur, who was going to use it to wipe his mouth.

"But it's full of holes." Bofur pointed out, a mug of ale in his left and a pipe in the other.

Bilbo fixed up the doily in his hands. "It's supposed to look like that. It's crochet." The Hobbit clarified.

"And a wonderful game it is too, if you've got the balls for it." Bofur said, chuckling along with the dwarves that were speaking with him.

"Bebother and confusticate these Dwarves!" Bilbo muttered irritated. "At least the Men had manners."

"My dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked with concern.

The hobbit looked at the wizard with an exaggerated expression. "What's the matter? I'm surrounded by Dwarves. What are they doing here?"

"Oh, they're quite a merry gathering once you get used to them." Gandalf replied.

"I don't want to get used to them." Bilbo led the old man down a hallway. "Look at the state of my kitchen. There's mud trod into the carpet. They've pillaged the pantry. I won't tell you what they've done in the bathroom. They've all but destroyed the plumbing. I just don't understand what they're doing in my house?!" The Hobbit spoke about the mess the dwarves left.

"Excuse me." Ori started as he came up to Bilbo with a dish in his hand. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"

"Here you go, Ori. Give it to me." Fili took the dish then tossed it to Kili, who while smoking a pipe threw it like frisbees to Bifur, who caught them without even looking.

"Excuse me, that's my mother's Westfarthing pottery. It's over a hundred years old!" Bilbo shouted in distress.

The other dwarves except Bombur used the knives and forks as drumsticks to play a tune.

"And can you not do that? You'll blunt them." The hobbit said to the dwarves.

"Ooh. Do you hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." Bofur grinned slyly. This led to Kili starting a song followed by his brother Fili.

 _Blunt the knives, bend the forks._

 _Smash the bottles and burn the corks._

 _Chip the glasses and crack the plates._

 _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates._

The dwarves except Bifur, Bombur, and Ori began singing. Bifur was busy with the pots, Bombur grabbed food from plates while Ori caught the dishes. Sorom, Zidane, Noctis, and Cloud started clapping to the rhythm. Lightning shook her head, "Men…" She muttered.

 _Cut the cloth, tread on the fat._

 _Leave the bones on the bedroom mat._

 _Pour the milk on the pantry floor._

 _Splash the wine on every door._

 _Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl._

 _Pound them up with a thumping pole._

 _When you're finished, if they are whole._

 _Send them down the hall to roll._

Ori carried a 'tower' of bowls, dishes, and mugs into the kitchen with Sorom assisting the young dwarf. The other dwarves tossed and cleaned the dishes while simultaneously singing along with the song. Bofur played the flute while Oin used a teapot as an instrument. _"That's what Bilbo Baggins hates."_ The dwarves finished the song with cheers and laughter.

Zidane claps his hands with a laugh saying, "Bravo to you all. You seem to all have a talent for music."

"Well, we Dwarves are quite the rowdy bunch." Fili pointed out.

The Explorer rolled his eyes before there was a knocking on the door. "He is here." Gandalf said as he answered the door, revealing Thorin.

"Gandalf, I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." Thorin stated as he hefted his sack. "I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark."

"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago." Bilbo retorted without checking the door.

"There is a mark. I put it there myself." The old wizard clarified. Gandalf gestured to Thorin. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield."

"So…" Thorin stepped forward to get a good look at Bilbo. "This is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo repeated in confusion.

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" The Dwarf prince questioned.

Bilbo decided to answer Thorin. "Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know," He paused for a second then continued. "But I fail to see why that's relevant."

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Thorin commented on the hobbit which elicited chuckles from all the other dwarves.

The dwarves made a portion of dinner for the prince as everybody gathered in the dining room.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Balin asked. "Did they all come?"

"Aye." Thorin replied while eating. "Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

"All of them!" One of the dwarves muttered while the others chuckled.

"And what did the Dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin asked after the others quieted down. "Is Dain with us?"

Thorin was silent for a few seconds before answering, "They will not come." This made the other dwarves look disappointed.

"That must have been important for them." Sorom whispered.

"I can understand but why?" Zidane questioned quietly only for Lightning to shush them.

"They say this quest is ours and ours alone." Thorin finished, the other dwarves even more disappointed.

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf requested as he reached into his robes to take out a small map. "Far to the east… over ranges and rivers… beyond woodlands and wastelands… lies a single, solitary peak."

The hobbit carried a lit candle, looking down at the map, "The Lonely Mountain." He muttered.

"Aye, Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time." Gloin stated, tapping the table with his hand.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return to Erebor…" Oin, the deaf dwarf looked at the others. "The reign of the beast will end."

"Uh, what beast?" Bilbo asked, confused on what they meant.

"Oh, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible," Bofur explained as he smoked his pipe. "Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne firebreather. Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious metals."

"Yes, I know what a dragon is." The hobbit stated clearly.

Ori stood up with a bold expression. "I'm not afraid. I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!"

"Good lad, Ori!" Nori praised his younger brother.

"Sit down." Dori pulled Ori back to his seat with a scolding look on his face.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin interrupted. "But we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best," He glanced at a few of the dwarves. "Nor brightest."

"Here, who are you calling dim?" Nori asked, offended.

"Sorry, what did he say?" Oin questioned, his hearing being a problem for him once more.

"We may be few in number…" Fili interjected. "But we're fighters, all of us, to the last Dwarf." He stated by slapping his hand on the table.

"And you forget, we have a Wizard in our company." Kili added. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Then he glanced at the otherworlders. "And possibly them as well."

The warriors couldn't argue that. At one point in their own separate journey, they had to face off against dragons or dragon-like beings.

"Oh, well, no. I wouldn't say-" Gandalf attempted to clarify.

"How many, then?" Dori asked, cutting the wizard off.

"What?" The old man asked.

"Well, how many dragons have you killed?" The older of the three brothers questioned.

The other dwarves looked at him for confirmation only for Gandalf to start coughing with bits of smoke leaving his mouth from smoking his pipe.

"Go on. Give us a number." Dori said which brought on a small argument between the other dwarves bar Thorin.

Thorin, having enough of the meaningless rabble, barked an order in Dwarfish. The others quickly sat back down to look at the Dwarf Prince. "If we have read these signs do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug, has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours?" Thorin looked at his kin. "Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?"

This ignited cheers from the other Dwarves, all except for Balin. "You forget, the Front Gate is sealed." The old dwarf clarified. "There is no way into the mountain."

At this time, Gandalf decided to make his presence known. "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Out of his sleeve, the wizard held up a bronze key of intricate design. Thorin seemed to be the most surprised by the object.

"How came you by this?" The heir of Durin questioned.

"It was given to me by your father." The old man answered. "By Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now." He hands the key over to the dwarf prince, who accepts it into his hand.

Thorin as well as the rest of the dwarves, even the otherworlders looked upon the key.

"If there is a key…" Fili started then looked at his uncle. "...there must be a door."

Gandalf nods. Using his pipe, he gestures to a set of writing on the map. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the Lower Halls."

Kili pats a hand on his brother's back, a big grin on his face. "There's another way in."

"Well, if we can find it, but Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." The wizard pointed out.

"That's refreshing." Zidane grimaced.

"How do you plan on finding this door?" Cloud questioned.

Releasing a sigh, Gandalf points at the parchment on the table. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it." He raises his index finger. "But there are others in Middle-earth who can."

Thorin glanced at the wizard, curious in what he had to say.

"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage." The grey-garbed figure proposed but he looked at Bilbo as if he had found the answer all along. "But if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

"What if that fails?" Noctis added his two cents into the mix.

"Well, I suppose that's where you and the others come in, Master Noctis." Gandalf replied. "This dragon could very well be beyond the skill of our small company, even me for that matter. If you are, as you say, experts in your specializations then we will have to rely on your strength."

The Explorer seemed eager for the challenge. "I look forward to it."

"But we can hope that such an event will not come to pass." The wizard finished.

"That's why we need a burglar." Ori stated.

The hobbit hummed. "And a good one too. An expert, I'd imagine."

"And are you?" Gloin asked, skeptical.

Bilbo seemed confused. "Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert. Hey." Oin cheered along with some of the other Dwarves.

The hobbit apparently seemed to take offense to that. "Me? No. No, no,no. I'm not a burglar." He clarified. "I've never stolen a thing in my life."

"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins, he's hardly burglar material." Balin said.

"Aye, the Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin stated causing everyone to began complaining.

"He's just fine." Kili interjected, reassuring his kinsmen.

The chattering between the dwarves, save Thorin, grew louder. Gandalf, having had enough of their bickering, stood up from his seat. "Enough!" A dark aura clouded the entirety of the room, silencing the dwarves as they stared at the wizard. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."

Zidane hid behind Lightning after feeling the cold grip that nearly took his soul. "Gandalf is a little scary," He gulped.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet." The grey-garbed wizard spoke, explaining the pros to adding Bilbo to the party. "In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And, while the is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf and Man, the scent of a Hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage."

Bilbo tried to speak up but held his tongue.

Gandalf looked at the Dwarf Prince, "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins." He spoke after taking a seat. "There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know." His stormy eyes landed on said hobbit. "Including himself."

Cloud furrowed his brow, skeptically. While it would be beneficial to have more numbers in a party, a dragon was beyond the means of a mere mortal. Bilbo would no doubt perish in the quest if something didn't go right.

It seemed his own thoughts mimicked the other travelers, thinking it would be a bad idea to bring along the hobbit.

A tense silence perpetrated the room's atmosphere as Thorin and Gandalf stared each other down. "You must trust me on this." The old man pleaded.

Reluctantly, the prince of the House of Durin agreed to the wizard's request. "Very well. We will do it your way."

"No, no." Bilbo spoke up, trying to get out of something potentially dangerous.

"Give him the contract." Thorin told Balin.

Bofur grinned. "We're in. We're off."

The older dwarf reached into his coat, pulling out a parchment of papers, "It's just the usual. Summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."

Thorin took the contract then handed it to Bilbo, who nervously took it with a stutter, "Funeral arrangements?" He repeated, hoping it was a misread. With a sigh, he unfolds the parchment and reads quietly to himself.

"This is a bad idea." Noctis voiced his disagreement.

"I agree with you." Cloud noddded.

Lightning folded her arms once again. "There's no doubt in my mind that Bilbo Baggins is unsuited for something like this."

Zidane lazily placed his hands behind his head. "Guess that means our job will be a bit more difficult."

Sorom could already feel a growing headache on the journey ahead.

"I cannot guarantee his safety." Thorin whispered to Gandalf.

"Understood." Gandalf whispered back.

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate." Thorin added.

"Agreed." Gandalf said with a solemn smile.

"Terms: cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one-fourteenth for total profit, if any." He inclined his head. "Seems fair. Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to lacerations, evisceration, incineration?" Bilbo looked at the dwarves from the contract.

"Oh aye. He'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur said to the hobbit.

"Wow, great way to bring him over." Sorom deadpanned.

There was a small pause. Bilbo whimpered softly at the thought of being burned alive and feeling himself a bit winded.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked, bringing Bilbo back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah." Bilbo took a deep breath to keep his nerves together, "Feel a bit faint."

Bofur suddenly had a mischievous idea, "Think furnace with wings."

"Air. I need air." The hobbit tried to speak, trying his best to calm himself and to rid the thoughts but the dwarf's description of the impending doom that awaited him started to fill him with fear.

"Bofur…" Lightning warned but it seemed he didn't hear the rosette.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then: Poof." The cap-wearing dwarf explained the finer details of dragon fire. "You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

There was silence as Bilbo stood still, looking at Gandalf.

"Nope." Bilbo said before fainting.

The otherworldly travelers leveled glares at the playful dwarf, who gave a small shrug of amusement.

"Very helpful, Bofur." Gandalf grumbled.

* * *

 **Later**

After carrying Bilbo over to a more comfortable chair, the party of five left him by himself so that Gandalf could chat with him more freely.

"I'll be alright. Just let me sit quietly for a moment." Bilbo said, a cup in hand.

"You have been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you?" Gandalf asked and was answered with silence. "I remember a young hobbit who always ran off in search of Elves in the woods. Who would stay out late, come home after dark trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young hobbit who would like nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books or maps. It's out there."

"I can't just go running off into the blue. I am a Baggins of Bag-end." Bilbo said to Gandalf.

"You are also a Took." Gandalf pointed out, "Did you know your great-great-great-great uncle Bullroarer Took was so large he could ride a real horse?"

"Yes." Bilbo whispered.

"Yes well, he could. In the Battle of Green Fields he charged the Goblin ranks. He swung his club so hard, it knocked the Goblin king's head clean off and it sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole. And thus, the battle was won. And the game of golf invented at the same time." Gandalf said to Bilbo.

"I do believe you made that up." Bilbo stated.

"Well, all good stories deserve some embellishment. You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back." Gandalf said reassuringly.

"Can you promise that I will come back?" Bilbo asked.

"No. And if you do, you will not be the same." Gandalf answered.

"That's what I thought." Bilbo said before he stood up from his chair, "Sorry, Gandalf, but I can't sign this. You've got the wrong hobbit."

Bilbo walked away from Gandalf and down a hallway.

"You realize that this could potentially kill him, right?" Cloud pointed out from the doorway.

"Yes, but I have no doubt in my mind that young Master Baggins will be quite safe within the company of the dwarves and you as well, my young friend."

The Ex-SOLDIER frowned. Something told him that the wizard knew that Bilbo would undoubtedly come along.

Watching the hobbit leave, Balin looked at his old friend, Thorin. "It appears we have lost our burglar." His tone didn't show it but he was greatly diminished. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers." The old dwarf released an unamused chuckle. "Hardly the stuff of legend."

"There are a few warriors amongst us." The Dwarf Prince pointed out, a grin on his face when he looked at Balin.

"Old warriors." He countered.

Thorin would not be undeterred. "I would take each and every one of these Dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they answered." He spoke admirably about the thirteen Dwarves that answered the call to their king. "Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

Balin stood up from his spot on a bench. "You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have build a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me." Thorin brought up the key in emphasis, "They dreamt of the day when the Dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

The old dwarf looked at the prince in silence then nodded his head in understanding. "Then we are with you, laddie." He placed a hand on Thorin's arm. "We will see it done."

Later that night, Zidane and Noctis had opted to sleep for the journey ahead. Sorom, Cloud, and Lightning were still up as they listened to the humming of the Dwarves. It was sorrowful yet filled with emotion.

 _Far over_

 _The misty mountains cold_

 _To dungeons deep_

 _And caverns old_

 _We must away_

' _Ere break of day_

 _To find our_

 _Long-forgotten gold_

Gandalf listened to the tune while smoking his pipe. Bilbo, who was in his bedroom, listened as well, now understanding the reason why the Dwarves were desperate to see their homeland.

 _The pines were roaring_

 _On the height_

 _The winds were moaning_

 _In the night_

 _The fire was red_

 _It flaming spread_

 _The trees like torches_

 _Blazed with light_

* * *

 **Next Morning**

The company awoke at the crack of dawn, gathering their provisions and equipment for the long road ahead. Kili gave each of the otherworlders a cloak to wear over their clothing or armor. Sorom equipped the Force Armor and Greaves onto his person with the Force Shield and a dark blade known as Arondight. Cloud checked his materia and kept his Fusion Swords sheathed behind his waist. Noctis went through his own collection of weapons, particularly his Royal Arms. Zidane yawned as he came outside, his Mage Mashers sent back into their pocket dimension. Lightning did last minute maintenance on her Overture gunblade.

Once the party of five left the hobbit hole, they were met with five different horses along with a few ponies for the Dwarves that Gandalf had called upon. When asked where he got them, he merely said that he received them from an old friend known as the 'Lord of all Horses'.

Sorom mounted on a brown thoroughbred with a coal black mane and tail called Ash. Noctis climbed onto a black and white spotted mare with a dark mane named Storm. Cloud was given a full black stallion with blue eyes and a white mane named Shadow. Zidane had a brown-white mare with a blonde mane called Beauty. Lightning sat upon a pure white mare also with a blonde mane but with darker eyes named Snow (the name brought a chuckle to her lips).

The Oakenshield company set out into the woods upon their steeds, leaving Hobbiton behind.

As the party entered the forest path, Zidane brought up a question, "So Bilbo isn't coming with us?"

"Looks like it. Probably for the best. This type of adventure isn't for him." Sorom replied.

"So what's your story?" Kili asked, looking at Lightning in particular. "I've seen many warriors in my time but I've never met a woman that can fight."

"Where I'm from, any gender can be a soldier. I became one to support my sister after our parents died." The rosette answered. "Fighting just came naturally for me."

"I see," The young dark-haired dwarf looked at the blade resting beside the former Savior's hip. "What is that by the way? I've never seen a sword with such an intricate design."

"If I told you, it would spoil the surprise." Lightning replied, unintentionally teasing Kili.

"Now that's not fair." The archer pouted playfully then glanced at Cloud. "And you? What's the deal with the swords? Overcompensating for something?"

Bofur, Bifur, and Dwalin laughed out loud while the Ex-SOLDIER rolled his eyes. "No, I just prefer to use swords this size. It reminds me of an old friend."

Dori, meanwhile, was chatting with Oin about the futility in trying to hire a Hobbit. "I said it. Didn't I say it? Coming here was a waste of time."

"That's true enough." Gloin agreed.

Dori continued. "Ridiculous notion. Use a Hobbit? A Halfling? Whose idea was it anyway?"

"Wait!" A familiar voice called out, earning a few surprised looks from the party. "Wait!"

"Whoa, whoa." Thorin halted the company as the dwarves, wizard, and humans looked back to see Bilbo Baggins dressed and carrying a knapsack with a piece of parchment in his hand.

Bilbo came up to the party, holding up the contract that had his signature written at the bottom. "I signed it." He smiles brightly, handing it over to Balin. "Here."

The old dwarf smiles knowingly while producing a pair of spectacles, his eyes looking over the signature with a keen gaze. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins," Balin folds the contract and places it in his coat. "To the company of Thorin Oakenshield." He winked at the hobbit in a friendly manner while the other dwarves chuckled or chattered.

Bilbo looked at the leader of the company, who still kept his expression neutral. "Give him a pony." He ordered.

"No, no, that's won't be necessary." The young Hobbit tried to argue. "Thank you. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frogmorton once. Aah!" He yelped when Fili and Kili lifted him up by his shoulders onto the only pony without a rider.

Thus, the journey toward the Misty Mountains began. The five warriors from different worlds now brought to Middle-earth to assist a fallen people reclaim the home that had once been stolen from them.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for the first chapter. Tell you the truth, I had to revise and go over it. Fixing little grammar problems and bringing about different conversations with the characters. Watching the movie with subtitles helped a lot too.**

 **I would also like to thank Nexus Gundam for helping assist me with this as well as being an unofficial beta reader.**

 **Now, do you lot agree with the character choices? Should I give one of them new weapons or armor? Or should they keep their current equipment?**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter. If there are any problems with it, please inform me. Hateful criticism and flames are not allowed.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	2. Tales and Trolls

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of 'Unexpected Journey'. Got a follower and a review, so at least it's being read.**

 **In any case, this chapter is continuing from where we left our heroes. I'm also accepting commendations from anyone that would like to submit an idea to this story or any story for that matter that may garner my interests.**

 **Oh, I've decided to bring in a legendary sword wielded by a famous elf hero from the First Age in Lord of the Rings. If you are massive Tolkien fans then you know who I'm talking about.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:** Tales and Trolls

* * *

The journey of our young heroes began when Bilbo had now officially joined the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Apparently, the dwarves had made bets on whether Bilbo would come or not. A few dwarves were quite unhappy. Gandalf, himself, also managed to win the bet, never doubting the Hobbit would come for the journey.

Bilbo looked to the others and asked, "What about you lot?"

"Well…" Zidane nervously chuckled.

"Truth be told, we thought you'd stay at your home." Cloud spoke bluntly.

"It would've been fine if you did. I wouldn't judge." Noctis shrugged.

Lightning narrowed her eyes at the Hobbit. "Though now you'll be in constant danger with us."

"In essence, you will most likely die." Sorom added in a joking manner.

Bilbo was silent before he suddenly sneezed. "Ah, it's horsehair. I'm having a reaction." He said as he reached down to grab something from his pocket but found nothing, "Wait, wait stop. We have to turn around."

This caused everyone to look at the hobbit.

"Are you serious? We just left!" Zidane exclaimed, a bit annoyed.

"I forgot my handkerchief." Bilbo said looking into his pockets.

"You want us to turn back all for a handkerchief?" Lightning looked at the hobbit, irritated.

"Here, use this." Bofur said, ripping a piece of his horse's saddle and tossing it to Bilbo.

Bilbo looked at the piece of fabric and then at the group who laughed before they continued their journey.

Cloud passed by the hobbit. "I highly recommend that you work with what you have at hand." With that piece of advice, he nudged his horse forward ahead.

"Move on!" Thorin ordered.

* * *

 **Night**

After traveling for a great many hour past valleys and forests, and taking the occasional break to water and feed their steeds, the company camped at a cliffside with an overview of the ravine ahead. Most of the dwarves had gone to sleep after supper, save for Thorin, his nephews Fili and Kili, and Balin. Bilbo tried to sleep but with the incessant snoring, it proved difficult.

Zidane and Noctis had no such trouble falling asleep. The loud snoring didn't even bother them or arouse them from their slumber. Sorom was busy sharpening one of his many knifes by the fire with a whetstone while Cloud and Lightning kept watch along with Gandalf, who smoked his pipe.

Bilbo stood up from his place and stretched, marching over to the grazing ponies. He checked over to make sure his companions weren't looking then patted the pony he rode the entire day. "Hello, girl. Who's a good girl?" He spoke softly with a smile, reaching into his pocket to procure a dark red apple. "It's our little secret, Myrtle." The pony eagerly devours the given treat. "You must tell no on. Shh, shh." Looking into his steed's eyes, he could see the understanding in them.

Then came a faint screeching sound in the distance that had those awoke on edge.

"The hell was that?" Cloud questioned, reaching for the First Tsurugi sword that rested beside him.

"No idea." Lightning replied, narrowing her eyes into the shifting darkness.

It seemed Bilbo had the same question as he sneaked over to Fili and Kili. "What was that?"

"Orcs." The dark-haired archer replied ominously.

"Orcs?" The hobbit repeated.

Sorom watched the forests, sharpening his knife slowly while the young dwarves continued.

"Throat-cutters." Fili clarified. "There'll be dozens of them out there." He casually smoked his pipe, not bothered by the fact that Bilbo looked ready to faint. "The lone-lands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep." Kili added. "Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."

The hobbit looked out over the cliff, worried half to death while the brothers looked at each other and chuckled at their little teasing moment.

"You think that's funny?" Thorin spoke, giving his nephews' a disappointed look. "You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"

Kili looked at his uncle ashamed of himself. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No, you didn't." The Dwarf prince spoke coldly, walking off from the campsite to clear his head. "You know nothing of the world."

Balin came in to reassure Fili and Kili. "Don't mind him, laddie." He leaned against the rockhead that provided good cover for the night. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs."

"Did something happen to him?" Sorom asked, putting away the dagger he held.

"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler." Balin explained as he looked at them.

"Sounds like one mean bastard." Cloud commented.

"The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the king." Balin was silent as he remembered that dreadful day.

Cloud, Sorom, and Lightning understood the pain it took just to tell the story. No doubt Balin had suffered a serious case of PTSD during that battle but it seemed that he recovered though the memories still filled him with dread.

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing. Taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young Dwarf prince facing down the pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken." Balin continued with a small smile, looking at Thorin.

The otherworlders knew how that felt. Their enemies made the mistake of underestimating them only to wind up dead in the end.

"Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. And our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, nor song that night. For our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I can follow. There is one I could call king." Balin finished with a fond smile.

Thorin turned around to look upon the faces of the awakened dwarves, who looked at him for leadership and guidance. They respected him and he, in turn, respected them.

"And the pale Orc?" Bilbo asked out of the blue, garnering a look from Balin. "What happened to him?"

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin answered as he walked past.

Balin looked at Gandalf, who had an uneasy expression on his elderly face. The five otherworlders noticed this as well. Something in their guts told them that the pale Orc might not be as dead as Thorin claimed.

Meanwhile, watching the company from another cliff were two Orcs, riding on a pair of wargs. The leader looked to his underling with a snarl and spoke in Black Speech, _"Send word to the Master, we have found the Dwarf-scum."_

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Waking up bright and early, the party had a quick breakfast and continued on their journey to retake Erebor though now they were traversing through a heavy rainstorm. The ponies and horses stepping through the muddy road with a little difficulty but continued undeterred. The dwarves who wore cloaks used their hoods to cover their heads. The five humans of the party following suit to keep their armor and clothes dry.

"Great way to start our day," Noctis grumbled. He never liked the rain. His journey with his brothers in all but blood had seen him through rainstorms quite a lot. It was especially difficult when they had to camp out at night.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked, trotting a few ways behind the wizard.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done." The wizard clarified. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo questioned.

"What?"

"Other wizards." The hobbit inquired.

"There are five of us." Gandalf replied. "The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards," He paused when he realized something. "Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

Bilbo nodded in understanding. "And who is the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown."

Zidane and Sorom snickered while Lightning rolled her eyes, "Boys…" She muttered.

"Is he a great wizard? Or is he more like you?" Bilbo asked.

"I think he's a very great wizard," Gandalf inclined his head. "In his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east. And a good thing too. For always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

A little man garbed in brown robes with leaves, vines, and various other earthly commodities littering his clothes looked over a bush of dying leaves. He carried a staff in his hand with a messy beard and long brown hair.

"Not good. Not good at all." Radagast muttered before he scurried past several dead bodies of animals. He checked the mushrooms but found that they had rotted away. The sap of the trees was nothing more than brown ichor. He called upon any birds still alive and kept them under his hat. He looked to the side only to gasp in horror.

Whimpering and trembling in pain was a hedgehog. Radagast was by the poor animal's side in a mere flash. "Oh, no. Sebastian." He gently picked up the weak creature, holding him close and comforting him. "Good gracious."

He had to help his dear friend at once. He scurried back to his home, passing by the bodies of other woodland creatures that perished from a mysterious illness.

Once he returned to his makeshift house, he set about using every known treatment he knew to cure Sebastian's sickness. On the table, the hedgehog's family trotted to the dying creature, worried about him.

"Come on." Radagast stuck a few herbs in a small bowl and turned to assist but quickly shouted, "Move back! Give him some air for goodness sake."

The family of hedgehogs who came to comfort Sebastian backed away, whimpering in concern as the brown-garbed wizard tried again to heal his friend.

He tried every type of medicine but it all ended in failure.

"I don't understand why it's not working. It's not as if it's witchcraft." Radagast said only to come to a realization, "Witchcraft. Oh, but it is. A dark and powerful magic."

When he said that he hears something chittering and looked out the window to see what looked like spider legs moving around and he can hear the creaking of wood before he saw giant spider legs through his door.

He moved over to hold the door but turned and watched regretfully as Sebastian stopped breathing and went limp.

Seeing his friend perish, Radagast knew of only one thing that could save him from the dark miasma that claimed his life. He grabbed his staff and removed a blue crystal.

Several animals squeaked in fear as they clustered onto Radagast for protection as the wizard chanted in a foreign language, placing the tip of the crystal to Sebastian's cold lips. As he spoke, he entered a sort of trance as an inky, black shadow is absorbed into the crystal from the hedgehog's mouth.

Soon after a while Sebastian opens his eyes and starts breathing while the giant spiders began to scurry away.

After setting his friend down, Radagast stormed out of his home, looking upon the retreating backsides of the spiders. "Where on this good earth did those foul creatures come from?" He wondered aloud until a bird started chirping. "The old fortress? Show me."

In minutes flat, the brown-garbed wizard rode upon a sled pulled by large rabbits as he followed the bird. A firm look in his otherwise peaceful eyes.

* * *

 **Oakenshield Company**

With our heroes, the party traveled up a small hill surrounded by rocks or boulders. Ahead, they find an abandoned, wrecked home that obviously belonged to a human family.

"We'll camp here for the night." Thorin informed the group. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf remarked, looking upon the ruins of the old home.

Sorom dismounted from Ash, stroking the stallion's dark mane. "Thank you for assisting me today, old boy."

"Oin, Gloin, set up a fire." Thorin ordered.

"I think it would be wiser to move on." Gandalf said. "We could make for the Hidden Valley."

The Dwarf prince frowned. "I have told you already," He growled. "I will not go near that place."

"Why not? The Elves could help us." The wizard tried to explain reason to Thorin. "We could get food, rest, advice."

"I do not need their advice." Thorin hissed.

"We have a map that we cannot read." Gandalf pointed out to the prince. "Lord Elrond could help us."

"Help?" Thorin scoffed in skepticism. "A dragon attacks Erebor. What help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls. The Elves looked on and did nothing." He stepped toward the Gray Wizard, showing his displeasure at the mere thought of the race that abandoned his people. "And you ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather. Who betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them." Gandalf interjected. "I did not give you that map and key for you to hold onto the past."

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." The Dwarf spoke harshly.

Put off by Thorin's stubbornness, Gandalf marched over to his horse, the other members of the company looking on with interest.

"Everything alright?" Bilbo asked but wasn't given an answer. "Gandalf, where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense." Gandalf answered as he walked past.

"And who's that?" Bilbo asked.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins. I've had enough of Dwarves for one day." Gandalf said as he walked away.

"Come on, Bombur, we're hungry." Thorin informed the bloated Dwarf.

"Thorin, I understand your need to reclaim your homeland, believe me I've been there, but you need allies." Noctis pointed out.

"When I want your advice, I'll ask you for it, boy." He replied harshly to the Crown Prince of Lucia.

Bilbo looked to Balin. "Is he coming back?"

Zidane, who had been listening, leaped off his horse and landed in front of the hobbit and dwarf. "Not to worry! I've got a feeling that the old guy will come back. Call it a gut feeling." The resident thief grinned cheekily.

* * *

 **Night**

After setting up camp, collecting firewood, and cooking the stew for the party, the dwarves chatted amongst themselves or with the 'Outsiders'. Bilbo kept watching in case Gandalf ever returned but the wizard had yet to come back, which greatly worried the young hobbit.

"He's been a long time." Bilbo said as he walked back to the group.

"Who?" Bofur asked, pouring a serving into a wooden bowl.

"Gandalf." The hobbit answered.

"He's a Wizard. He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favor. Take this to the lads." The cap-wearing dwarf said handing Bilbo two bowls and moves his head, gesturing to where Fili and Kili are. "Stop it. You've had plenty." He slaps Bombur's hand when he tried to get another serving.

Bilbo turns around and starts walking until he finds Fili and Kili standing still, looking towards the horses with serious expressions. Bilbo tries to hand them the bowls but he noticed they were acting strange when they didn't take the bowls.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies." Kili answered.

"Only we've encountered a small problem." Fili followed up.

"We had sixteen." Kili started as Bilbo looked to where the ponies were.

"Now there's fourteen." Fili finished.

Zidane, who had recently finished his own meal, heard the commotion and dropped from the trees overhead. "What's the problem?" He asked, mildly curious.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing." Kili answered as he and Fili walked to a pair of uprooted trees.

"That is not good." The hobbit chuckles nervously. "And that is not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin?" Bilbo asked still holding the bowls.

"And tell him what? 'Hey, sorry, but apparently, we lost two of the ponies.' Yeah, that would totally be understandable." The thief commented sarcastically.

"Uh, no. Let's not worry him." Fili replied. "As our official burglar, we thought you might like to look into it."

"Well, uh…" Bilbo stuttered. "Look, something big uprooted these trees."

"That was our thinking." Kili replied.

The hobbit continued. "It's something very big and possibly quite dangerous."

Zidane gave the trees a once over before he spotted something. "Hey, over there!" He whispered, directing his three compatriots down by the base of the uprooted tree. "I see a light."

They slowly approach but stop when they hear loud voices.

"What is it?" Bilbo asked.

"Trolls." Kili answered with a growl.

They all get up to run with Bilbo carrying the bowls and all hide when they see a troll walking with two horses in hand.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty." The hobbit whispered, feeling compelled to help the innocent ponies. "I think they're gonna eat them. We have to do something."

"But how? I mean, not to brag, but I could take on one of them by myself but if there are any more then it could be disastrous." Zidane quietly spoke, readying his Mage Mashers.

"Yes, you should." Kili said getting Bilbo's attention, "Mountain Trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small, they'll never see you."

Bilbo tried to decline but Kili said, "It's perfectly safe. We'll be right behind you."

"If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl," Fili said as he took the bowls. "And once like a brown owl."

Zidane frowned when he figured out that the two dwarves were letting the hobbit do all the work. "Don't worry, Bilbo. I'll come with you as backup."

Bilbo and Zidane approaches the fire and saw three Mountain Trolls all around an open fire with a goblet and they were all talking about random things before one sneezed into the goblet.

Bilbo continued sneaking until he was next to the cage holding the horses.

He tries to loosen a rope but hid when one of the trolls looked towards the horses.

The troll talks about eating a horse before another smacks it in the face with a big spoon, giving the hobbit more time to try and undo the rope.

Bilbo had trouble with the rope and saw the blade on one of the Trolls hip and tried to sneak close to slip it off of the troll.

Bilbo got close enough to grab it but he couldn't figure out the best way to do that before it stood up and scratched its butt.

When it sits back down Bilbo tried to grab the Troll's weapon, only for it to reach back, grabbing him and bringing him to its face and using him as a handkerchief and gets covered in troll snot.

The thief grimaced in disgust. Initially glad that he didn't do that. Regardless, his hobbit friend was in danger. He brought out his Mage Mashers, flipped onto one of the monsters' back. Bert, he believed. "Get your hands off of him!" He stabbed both of his swords into the Troll's collar.

The Troll cried out in pain before reaching over its shoulder and grabbed the thief by his monkey tail, holding him in front of his face.

"Oh crap." Zidane gulped.

One of the trolls, Tom, suggested they hold Bilbo's toes over the fire to make him squeal. Suddenly, Kili came out of the bushes, cutting the troll's leg as he hopped on one foot then squealed in pain when the dwarf slashed his toe.

"Drop him!" Kili shouted.

"You what?" The troll known as William asked.

"I said, drop him." Kili said as the Troll looked at him.

"Uh, help!" Zidane shouted. "Dangling for my life here!"

The troll raised the thief in the air and he realized what was going to happen.

Zidane smirked slyly, "Not!" A ball of fire grew in his palm which he threw directly into the troll's face. Fira spells were quite handy against foes.

The troll cried out in pain and tossed Zidane towards Kili's general direction but missed and grabbed his face in pain before more help arrived.

Coming out of the forest, Thorin and his company emerged with battle cries. Sorom, Lightning, Cloud, and Noctis charged into the fray as well.

They all began striking the Trolls with hammers, swords, spears, and other assortment of weapons but they only did small damage… save for Cloud's Fusion Sword which created bigger cuts on the Trolls' thick skin.

Zidane glanced at his fellow 'outsiders'. "Use magic! It's more effective than blades!"

Hearing this, Lightning smirked, "Sounds like a plan." The brand that had once marked her as a l'Cie glowed then sent a wave of Thundara spells that struck the Troll named William.

Noctis grimaced. His version of spells, though effective, did more harm to his own allies than his enemies. Which is why he prefered using more close quarter weaponry. Engine Blade in hand, he warped at Tom and started delivering a flurry of slashes then used his warping ability again to avoid the troll's giant arms.

Cloud used his superior agility and strength to land effortlessly on Bert's shoulders. His hand glowed an icy blue which he used to deliver a sub zero blast of cold from his Blizzard Materia. A portion of the troll's hide freezing as he leaps off the monster, slashing his back with two of his Fusion Swords.

Zidane, after recovering from his temporary capture, used his speed and agility to run along the arms of the trolls and slashing their limbs with his Mage Mashers.

Sorom used his knowledge of healing spells to heal any injuries that the dwarves sustained. Each Cure draining his energy but proved worthwhile as he continued his assault on the trolls, slashing legs and parrying paws away with his shield.

Bilbo managed to free the horses, only to get his arms and legs grabbed by two of the three Trolls.

"Bilbo!" Kili shouted but as he tried to run to him he was stopped by Thorin.

"Lay down your arms! Or we'll rip off his!" One of the Trolls growled.

Thorin looked right into the terrified eyes of the hobbit. Left with no choice, the Dwarf prince stabbed his sword into the earth. One by one, the party disarmed. Sorom dropped Arondight along with his Force Shield, Lightning removed her buckler and placed Overture on the ground, Cloud removed all of his swords, Zidane dropped his Mage Mashers, and Noctis threw his Engine Blade into a tree.

Minutes later they were all tied in separate bags, leaving their heads out while the Trolls prepare a fire for cook them with a few slowly being cooked.

"Oh! That's hot, that's hot, that's hot!" Nori cried out, feeling the flames against his skin.

Zidane and Cloud were amongst half of the dwarves tied to the cooking spit. "This is not how I thought I was gonna go out." The Ex-SOLDIER struggled against his bindings.

"Really? This is like 'Tuesday' for me." Zidane commented.

"Don't bother cooking them. Just sit on them and squash them into jelly." Tom suggested with a smile.

"Is this really necessary?" Balin complained.

"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." Bert said waving a hand over the group being cooked.

"Oh, that does sound nice." Said a troll.

Sorom gritted his teeth, struggling from within his sack. "Damn, if only I could call upon a Summon."

Lightning nodded in agreement. "I can't use my own magic without burning anyone around us."

Noctis, however, had one trick up his sleeve. He secretly materialized a dagger from his pocket space and started cutting his binds within the sack.

"Never mind the seasoning. We ain't got all night. Dawn ain't far away. Let's get a move on. I don't fancy being turned to stone." A Troll said and that gave the lone hobbit an idea.

"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake." Bilbo said getting the Trolls' attention.

"You can't reason with them. They're halfwits!" Dori shouted.

"Halfwits? What does that make us?!" Nori asked as Bilbo managed to get onto his feet.

"I meant with the, uh, with the seasoning." Bilbo said getting their full attention.

"What about the seasoning?" Bert asked.

"Well have you smelt them? You're gonna need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up." Bilbo said.

The dwarves felt insulted as William questioned the hobbit, "What do you know about cooking dwarf?"

"Shut up. Let the flurgaburburhobbit talk." Bert said.

"The secret to cooking dwarf is um..." Bilbo tried to think.

"Yes? Come on. Tell us the secret." Bert said.

"The secret is... to skin them first." Bilbo said, horrifying his comrades.

"Tom, get me filleting knife." Bert said with a grin.

"I'll skin you, you little-" Gloin cursed.

"I won't forget that! I won't forget that!" Dwalin said pointing threateningly at Bilbo.

The Outsiders realized what Bilbo was trying to do and kept quiet.

Noctis, nearly finished, continued cutting away his bindings.

"What a load of rubbish. I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scarf them, I say, boots and all." William remarked.

"He's right. Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf and man." Tom said as he reached down grabbing Lightning and holding her up over his head.

"Nice and crunchy." The troll said as he opened his mouth to eat her whole.

The pinkette had to hold her breath after getting a whiff of Tom's foul breath.

"Not that one! She's infected." Bilbo exclaimed, thinking fast to save Lightning which got their attention.

"You what?" William inquired.

"Yeah, she's got worms... in her tubes." Bilbo said, causing the troll holding Lightning to toss her away to the others.

"Ohh!" Sorom drew in a breath after the former Savior landed head-first on his sacred jewels. "That's gonna hurt in the morning."

"Sorry," Lightning apologized.

"In fact, they all have. They're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business! I wouldn't risk it. I wouldn't." Bilbo said.

"Parasites?" Oin repeated. "Did he say "parasites"?"

Kili yelled in frustration. "We don't have parasites. You have parasites!"

The other dwarves joined in, shouting curses or complaints at the Hobbit except for Thorin and the humans, who kicked each dwarf by their feet to follow along with the plan.

The dwarves stopped, look at Thorin and Bilbo, finally realizing what they were planning.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm." Oin declared.

"Mine are the biggest parasites." Kili said, a bit too quickly. "I've got huge parasites."

"I have parasites big enough to kill a dragon!" Sorom shouted.

"Me too!" Lightning agreed, following along with the deception.

"Mine are bigger than wolves!" Noctis nodded rapidly.

"We're riddled."

"Yes, I'm riddled." Ori piped in.

"Yes, we are, badly." Dori agreed.

"What would you have us do, then? Let them all go?" William asked with a glare.

"Well…" Bilbo muttered only for William to shove a finger into the hobbit's chest.

"You don't think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools." William said as he walked back to the the other Trolls.

"Ferret?!" Bilbo repeated, offended by the insult.

"Fools?" Bert inquired.

"The dawn will take you all." A familiar voice spoke aloud, drawing the attention of everyone toward the grey-garbed form of Gandalf.

"Called it!" Zidane exclaimed.

"Who's that?" William asked.

"No idea." Bert shrugged.

"Can we eat him too?" Tom suggested.

The wizard raised his staff into the air then brought it down, cracking the stone he stood on in half, releasing a ray of sunlight that hit the trolls hard.

Tom, William, and Bert started groaning in agony as their hides slowly turned into gray stone. With one last groan and twitch of their bodies, the three trolls were now nothing more than frozen statues of rock.

Soon they all began to cheer in joy before Dwalin said. "Get your foot out of my back!"

Noctis used this chance to cut himself out of his bindings and sack then worked his way in freeing the others. Once everyone had collected their weapons and equipment, Gandalf gave one of the stone trolls a tap on the head with his staff.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin questioned the wizard.

"To look ahead." Gandalf answered.

"What brought you back?

"Looking behind." The two shared a brief amused grin. "Nasty business. Still, they're all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar." The prince commented.

The Grey Wizard decided to shed a little light on Bilbo's plan. "He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you, save for our young human friends, thought of that."

Thorin conceded with Gandalf on that point.

The old man continued as he glanced at the statues. "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."

"Since when do Mountain Trolls venture this far south?" Thorin inquired.

"Ooh. Not for an age." Gandalf replied. "Not since a darker power ruled these lands." His eyes drifted back to horrid memories of a terrible evil that ruled Middle-earth with an iron fist.

Thorin realized _who_ the wizard was talking about. A brief silence came over the dwarf and wizard.

"They could not have moved in daylight." Gandalf spoke.

"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin looked around then spotted an opening a few yards away.

The company surrounded the cave and descended cautiously inside though the smell of the tunnel filled their nostrils.

"Oh, what's that stench?" Nori asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"It's worse than a Behemoth's den." Noctis winced, pinching his nose with two fingers.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Gandalf informed.

They soon find gold and all sorts of valuables lying around.

"Seems a shame to leave it lying around. Anyone could take it." Bofur said looking at a pile of gold.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." Gloin told the braided bearded dwarf.

As the party looked through a few of the items available, Thorin came across a set of swords that did not belong.

Sorom, who had taken to scavenging for any useful items, also found something interesting. A blade holstered in a black sheath with runes written in an unknown language on the grip.

Thorin grabbed two swords, looking over the web covered weapons carefully and said. "These swords were not made by any troll."

Thorin hands a sword to Gandalf who looked it over.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men." Gandalf started as he observed the sword before he slowly unsheathed it to see a perfectly clean blade despite the dusty, spider web covered sheath, hilt, and crossguard, "These were forged in Gondolin. By the high elves of the first age."

Thorin looked at Gandalf and back to the blade and prepared to toss it aside in disgust.

"You could not wish for a finer blade." Gandalf insisted with a stern look.

Thorin stopped and looked at his sword and unsheathed it to see the blade was in the same commission as the sword Gandalf held.

"I've got something here as well. Way too pretty to be a mere sword." Sorom presented it to Gandalf.

"Hmm, it seems that is another elvish blade though there is something about it that I can't quite place." The wizard took a closer look at the blade. "Regardless, we must continue on with our quest."

The Explorer took another glance at the sword he held in his hand then slung it onto his back.

Dwalin looked down at Gloin, Nori, and Bofur, who had just finished burying a treasure chest full of gold.

"We're making a long-term deposit." Gloin justified their actions, earning him an eye roll from the younger brother of Balin.

"Let's get out of this foul place." Thorin ordered. "Come on, let's go." He glanced back at the three dwarves still burying the treasure. "Bofur, Gloin, Nori."

Cloud picked up a few gold coins then pocketed them into his pants. The trolls would have no more need of it. Lightning didn't find anything of interest to her so she left without a word. Noctis had no need to scavenge for any more weapons or money due to his adventures in Eos. Zidane was in heaven; he started shoveling every piece of gold he could grab into his pockets. Sorom followed the rest of the party outside.

"Here. This is about your size." Gandalf said as he hands Bilbo a small blade that he found amongst the rabble.

The hobbit looked at the sword (or dagger in Men terms) with an uneasy look on his rugged face. "I can't take this." He tries to hand it back.

"The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby." The wizard clarified.

"I have never used a sword in my life." Bilbo explained.

"And I hope you never have to." Gandalf replied, understanding the hobbit's uneasiness with a weapon. "But if you do, remember this: True courage is about knowing not when to take a life but when to spare one."

"Something's coming!" Thorin called out, getting the wizard's attention.

"Gandalf." Bilbo tried to speak.

"Stay together!" Gandalf marched up to the front of the company, who all readied their arms for battle. "Hurry now! Arm yourselves!"

While dwarf and man unsheathed their swords and readied their spears, Bilbo slowly placed his hand on the hilt of the Elvish blade and unsheathed it, looking upon the decorated metal with a curious eye.

Bilbo looks back and runs over to reunite with the group as they see movement, which turned out to be a sled pulled by rabbits with Radagast at the reins.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" Radagast exclaimed in alarm.

Lightning turns Overture from its sword form to gun form, taking aim at the little man. "Who is that?!"

Fire and lightning sparked in both Sorom's hands, ready to unleash his magic. "Some kind of druid?"

Cloud, however, kept his blades holstered. "I don't think he's hostile."

"Radagast." Gandalf said in recognition before he sheathed his new sword, "It's Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong." Radagast said in worry.

"Yes?" Gandalf said curious.

Radagast is about to say something but stopped, unable to think of what he was trying to say.

"Just give me a minute." The small man replied as he tried to think, "Oh. I just had a thought and now I've lost it. It was just right there, on the tip of my tongue."

"Oh, it's not a thought at all. It's a silly old..." Radagast started mumbling as he had his mouth open to allow Gandalf to pick a stick bug out of his mouth, allowing Radagast to talk normal, "stick insect."

"Really?" Lightning deadpanned.

"That joke was terrible." Zidane added.

The dwarves and Bilbo looked at the brown-garbed wizard strangely.

Radagast just took the stick bug into his hand with a smile.

"I don't think he was joking." Cloud said, slightly creeped out.

A while later Radagast was off talking to Gandalf.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore. At least, nothing good." Radagast said in alarm. "The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs." This got Gandalf's attention.

"Webs? What do you mean?" He asked after taking a puff from his smoking pipe.

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur." Radagast told his fellow wizard.

Gandalf stopped. "Huh? Dol Guldur?" He looked at the Brown Wizard. "But the old fortress is abandoned."

"No, Gandalf." The druid spoke ominously. "'Tis not. A dark power dwells in there such as I have never felt before." The memory of that dreadful fortress still brought shivers to his spine. "It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come." He remembered how it whispered his name eerily in the shadow. He suddenly gasps after relapsing from the memory. "Sorry."

"Try a little Old Toby." Gandalf cleaned the lip of his pipe with his beard and allowed Radagast to take a puff. "It'll help settle your nerves." The brown wizard took the offering with glee, sucking a bit of smoke with crossed eyes. "And out."

Radagast sighs in relief, breathing the smoke out of his nose while the birds under his hat chirp in discomfort from the smog.

"Now, a Necromancer." The Grey Wizard spoke, drawing the druid's attention. "Are you sure?"

Radagast reached into his robes and brought out a sword wrapped in sealing parchment. He hands it over to Gandalf, who took it with a weary eye. Removing the binding, he looked at the handle with unease.

"That is not from the world of the living." Radagast whispered.

"Was there anything else?" Gandalf asked quietly, dreading the unforeseen future.

"Yes, I felt another presence besides the Necromancer," The brown-garbed wizard frowned. "It's heart was darker than the deepest abyss. There was nothing but a vile shadow that threatened to consume all the light in the world."

"Was there anything else you could tell?" The grey wizard questioned.

"Yes, I believe this darkness isn't native to Middle-earth, or even from this world." Radagast glanced at the five 'outsiders' lounging by trees or checking their blades. "I could only guess it came from the same source that brought our young friends here."

"Are you certain?" Gandalf asked.

"Very." Radagast answered before they hear a howling.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked in confusion.

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur said slightly terrified.

Suddenly, they hear movement and a large wolf/like beast came out of nowhere and lunged at Dori, only to be cut down by Cloud, who swung his First Tsurugi sword to remove the beast's head.

Another beast was coming up behind Thorin but Kili shot it with an arrow, causing it to fall and miss Thorin but it was still alive. Dwalin smashed its head, killing it instantly.

"What the hell are these things!?" Zidane exclaimed in shock.

"Warg scouts." Thorin grunted. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."

"Orc pack?" Bilbo repeated.

"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf interrogated the Dwarf prince.

"No one." He answered.

"Who did you tell?" The wizard raised his voice, demanding an answer.

"No one, I swear." Thorin replied sincerely. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

Gandalf looked around the woods with keen eyes. "You are being hunted."

"Which means we have no time to waste." Noctis narrowed his blue eyes at the forest.

"We have to get out of here." Dwalin spoke.

"We can't." Ori exclaimed. "We have no ponies or horses. They bolted." More wargs howled in the distance.

Lightning prepared her gunblade for battle. "Then we'll have to either run or fight."

"I'll draw them off." Radagast said, getting their attention.

"These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you." Gandalf said to his fellow wizard.

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try." Radagast said with determination and a sly grin.

Before the party could make plans to run, Sorom stopped Bilbo in his tracks. "Listen, I need you to stay in the middle. You're not much of a fighter so either stay with the group or stay near one of us. Lightning, Cloud, and Noctis will be at the front while Zidane and I guard the rear."

The hobbit looked at the Explorer and nodded in understanding. "I-I think I can do that." He stuttered then looked down at the sword at his waist.

"Bilbo, if it comes down to it, only use your sword if your life is in great danger." Sorom spoke. "Don't pull it out unless you know you can take a life."

"Does it ever get any easier? Killing, I mean." Bilbo asked, looking straight into the young man's crimson eyes.

The Freelancer went silent, a far off look on his face as he remembered battles he fought alongside with other Explorers. How some perished against powerful foes or were lost from separate locations. He looked down at the hobbit. "No, it never is. That's why I'm telling you this now: When it comes down to it, if someone raises a blade to you and seeks to do you harm, will you let them kill you or will you kill them?"

The two went silent for a brief moment until Sorom passed by Bilbo. "Sorom?" The hobbit spoke bequizzled.

"Come on. We've got a lot of running to do." The Explorer nudged his head in the direction that their other companions were trotting off towards.

Bilbo nodded in understanding, following after the human as the advice from both Gandalf and Sorom played over and over in his head.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Now, many of you are probably wondering what was the sword that Sorom just picked up in the troll cave. Well, it's a blade from the First Age and forged by a Dark Elf from meteorite iron then later stolen by his own son. Hardcore fans of Tolkien's works should recognize it. If you don't, you can look it up after I introduce it in the next chapter.**

 **Some of you have also complained that the 'Outsiders' and the Oakenshield company haven't interacted much from last chapter. Well, I will try my absolute best to have them chat with each other on occasion.**

 **As for romance, a few of you suggested the good old Noct/Light pairing. And while I can honestly say that I have no problem with it, it'll be that much harder for the characters when the ending of this story comes around. But I will consider the option. Pairings are still debatable by the way.**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter. If there are any problems or concerns with it, please notify me in the review box or in a PM. Refrain from using harsh criticisms that have demeaning insults or flames. I will not tolerate those at all.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	3. Orcs, Elves, and Rivendell

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of 'Unexpected Journey'. Got a few followers and reviews now. So far so good, am I right?**

 ***Cricket chirp***

 **Hmm, tough crowd.**

 **In any case, this chapter is continuing from where we left our heroes. I'm also accepting commendations from anyone that would like to submit an idea to this story or any story for that matter that may garner my interests.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 _Italics -_ Elvish/Telepathy

 _ **Bold Italics**_ \- Black Speech

* * *

 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey**

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 **Chapter 3:** Orcs, Elves, and Rivendell

Howling is heard throughout the forest and the next door grassland.

Running towards the forest were a pair of Wargs with a few of them having orc riders.

As a few Wargs enter the forest a familiar sled pulled by Rhosgobel rabbits with Radagast being chased by the same Wargs that entered the forest just a few seconds ago.

"Come and get me!" Radagast shouted, taunting the orcs that were now chasing him.

From a safe distance Gandalf along with the dwarves, humans, and hobbit watched as Radagast led the wargs away from them, laughing as he did.

"Come on!" Gandalf called as he took the lead.

Noctis led Lightning and Cloud ahead of the party until they were behind Gandalf, their separate weapons brought out and ready to spill orc blood. Sorom and Zidane covered the party from the rear, both explorer and thief ready to use their magic at a moment's notice.

"Wargs don't really look all that tough," Zidane commented.

"Wargs travel in packs and you should worry more about their riders." Gandalf said as they ran, hearing a howl.

"Hehe, right," The thief laughed a little nervously.

They ran past many rocks as Radagast led the Wargs away but they all stopped when they see the druid in the distance with Wargs chasing him.

"Get back!" Noctis whispered loudly, lightly pushing a few of the dwarves back against the wall of rock. Lightning hugged the boulder, readying her gunblade to fire just in case with Cloud taking out one of his shorter Fusion Swords. "They're just over there."

"Stay together." Gandalf advised before he ran off since the Wargs and orcs were still focused on Radagast.

The company moved as swiftly as possible. The five outsiders keeping a watchful eye on the orc pack in case they looked in their direction.

As they did, they watched as Radagast led the orc pack with one of the Wargs leading its orc rider to smash headfirst into a rock with the brown-garbed wizard riding under it.

"Ori no! Get back." Thorin said, grabbing Ori by the back of his coat and pulling him into cover when they see Radagast being chased in front of them.

Thankfully they got into cover and avoided the eyes of any Wargs or orcs.

"That was too close." Cloud remarked, narrowing his mako eyes.

"We might not get another chance." Lightning added. "I suggest we be more careful."

"Quick come on, come on. Quick." Gandalf said as he waved for the company to move.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked, suspicious on where the wizard was taking them but Gandalf remained silent.

They ran for a little more before they hid behind a rock when they see Radagast in front of them, still being chased by the orc pack, but an orc and his beastly steed stood on top of the rock they were using for cover.

The orc drew his sword as his warg tried to sniff out its prey.

Thorin nodded to Kili who pulled out an arrow which he set in his bow before he moved out of cover to take aim at the orc and warg, drawing their attention.

Before the orc or its steed could act, Kili shot the arrow which struck the warg in the side, causing it to lose its balance and fall off the rock with a whimper, knocking its rider off, as well as drawing the attention of the rest of the orc pack.

The orc runs at them but was taken down by Dwalin, with Bifur and Thorin delivering the killer blow while the warg was killed by Dwalin.

The last sounds both beasts made were animalistic cries which verified their location to the rest of the orc pack.

"Oh shit…" Sorom cursed. "They know where we are now."

There was silence for a second before Orcish cries and Warg howls can be heard.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf shouted before he starts running with the others following his lead.

"Light, give us cover!" Noctis directed the pinkette.

"Got it." Lightning nodded, stopping in her tracks with Overture shifting into its gun mode. She fired a burst of bullets that killed one of the orcs on the warg. The beast roared only to meet the same fate as its master.

Sorom swapped his sword and shield out for a Killer Bow. He lined an arrow up to the bowstring then fired it straight into the head of an approaching warg. The resulting friction from its body sent the orc rider crashing into the ground with a broken neck.

"There they are!" Gloin gestured to the approaching war party.

"This way!" Gandalf shouted. "Quickly!"

The company fled as fast as their legs could possibly go.

"There's more coming!" Kili shouted as more orcs can be seen climbing hills.

"Kili, shoot them!" Thorin ordered as Gandalf looked for something until he found it and ran to a pair of rocks.

"Noctis, is the area big enough for you to use magic?" Cloud asked, readying his Firaga materia.

"Yeah, definitely big enough." The Lucian Prince brought out a small glowing ball that radiated with a violet light. He threw it out a few yards, releasing the power of the Thundaga inside, sending bolts of purple lightning cracking down upon orcs.

The Ex-SOLDIER threw a massive ball of fire that consumed the entirety of an orc rider and his warg, burning them until they were nothing more than ashes.

Zidane brought out his Mage Mashers in a reverse-handed grip. "We need to find someplace to escape!"

Sorom holstered his Killer Bow and unsheathed the Elvish sword he picked up from the troll cave. The silvery blade glinting in the sunlight.

"We're surrounded!" Fili shouted as Kili fired an arrow which struck an orc in the heart as they gathered around a formation of rocks.

"Where's Gandalf?" Dori asked in concern.

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin said as the orcs slowly drew closer.

Ori fired a rock from his slingshot, hitting a warg in the face but instead of hurting it, the rock only just made it angry.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin shouted as he drew his elvish sword.

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf shouted from the rock formation, getting their attention and showing a hidden passage.

"Go!" Sorom ordered the dwarves and the hobbit. "We can hold them here."

"We can?" Zidane repeated.

"Definitely, these orcs are nothing." Lightning responded, entering her usual combat stance with her buckler and Overture in sword mode.

"Come on, move!" Thorin shouted as the dwarves and the hobbit slide down a slope into a cave one by one.

"Quickly get in! All of you! Go, go, go!" Thorin shouted as a warg ran up to him but he spun around and slashed its throat open, killing it.

Thorin saw Kili kill an orc and shouted. "Kili! Run!"

Kili ran over and entered the hole with Thorin following.

Once the rest of the party was safe, Sorom, Lightning, Cloud, Noctis, and Zidane stood guard in front of the entrance. "We don't let a single one of them get past us." The explorer told his companions.

"Not like this'll be any difficult." Cloud remarked, combining all of his swords into the one Fusion Sword.

"Hmph, I never fail in a mission." Lightning snided.

"We're probably gonna die." Zidane said jokingly.

"At least we'll take some of these ugly bastards with us." Noctis added, materializing the Sword of the Wise.

The orcs drew closer to the human heroes before they hear a horn blaring, followed by an arrow colliding with one of the orcs heads. They all look to where the arrow came from and they see men in armor on horseback riding towards them and attacking the orcs.

"Who are they?" Zidane asked, confused but quite realized for the help.

"Soldiers from the looks of it." Cloud replied.

Lightning took a step forward, glancing back at the men. "Can't let them outshine us now, can we?" With a thin smile, the former Savior charged into the fray, leaping with the grace of a dancer and slicing an orc's head clean off with her gunblade.

"Come on, boys. Can't let her have all the fun." Sorom grinned as he and the other three warriors attacked the orc pack, assisting the mysterious soldiers in the scuffle.

An orc warg rider charged at Sorom with the intention of taking his head. The explorer raised the elf blade in his hand, deflecting the blow then slashed down, beheading the orc's warg, and sending the mutant falling on his face. Before the orc could stand up, Sorom stabbed the mutilated elf right into the head.

A warg without a rider lunges at Cloud while another with a rider rushed Lightning. The duo looked at each other and nodded. The Ex-SOLDIER flips over the pouncing warg, kicking onto its head to launch into the air. The rosette slid between the rider-mounted warg's legs, allowing it to pass over her. The two wargs crashed into one another. The orc rider flying off its steed and landing painfully on its back.

Cloud stabbed his Fusion Sword into the orc's chest after he descended from the air while Lightning used a quick Blizzaga spell to freeze the two wargs in a block of ice.

An orc who was knocked off his ride charged at Noctis who had his back to him, thinking he was an easy target and released an animal-like roar with his sword raised high. Hearing this, the Crown Prince activated his 'evade' ability, his body glowing blue as he stepped casually past the clumsy sword strike. He took his Royal Arm in hand and slashed through the orc's waist, bisecting it from top to bottom.

Two orcs ran at Zidane from opposite directions with their swords held high and letting out roars as they ran. The playful thief leaped into the air and fired three energy bullets that he liked to call 'Scoop Art'. The three red bolts of energy struck both orcs, knocking them into the air. He then performed 'Storm Impulse' an attack that skewered through the orcs' chests. The Genome landed on his feet with a flourish while the mutants fell to the earth in a heap.

"And that's the ballgame!" Zidane commented after doing a little victory pose.

They look to see two orcs and four Wargs running away while the rest of the pack lies dead on the ground.

"That wasn't so bad." Sorom remarked with a grin, sheathing the elven blade. "I thought those things would be quite difficult."

Cloud broke his swords apart, sliding them one by one into his custom blade holster. "Hmm, even without assistance, we could've killed them easily."

"Yeah," Noctis nodded coolly.

"But what about our mysterious saviors?" Lightning sarcastically inquired.

Zidane placed his hands behind his head. "Well, it's not like we couldn't do anything without them."

Soon they found themselves surrounded by the horsemen that came to their aid with no opening to get out of the encirclement.

"But I could be wrong…" The Genome commented, a bit nervous by the stares he was getting.

Lightning narrowed her eyes at the ears of the soldiers. They weren't round like a humans. Instead, they were pointed. "Could these be elves?" She quietly asked her companions.

"Looks like it." Cloud answered.

"To what business do you have here?" An elf with black hair asked as he moved his horse to walk in front of them.

Sorom stepped forward, being the unofficial spokesman. "We were traveling. Our companions ran a different path while we stayed to keep the orcs from getting to them."

"Your companions are dwarves, a hobbit, and Gandalf, I presume?" The elf asked with a raised eyebrow.

The five warriors narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"And what if they are?" Noctis inquired.

"Then they are likely taking the hidden passage to Rivendell." The elf replied.

"Rivendell?" Zidane repeated. "What's that?"

"That is our sanctuary, young travelers." The elf answered.

"Who are you? You obviously know us and our company." Sorom inquired.

"I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell." The now identified Elrond replied. "May I inquire as to your names?"

"Sorom. Explorer of Astora." The red-eyed young man answered.

"Lightning Farron." The former Savior kept her gunblade ready, still not trusting the Elves.

"Cloud Strife." The Ex-SOLDIER nodded respectfully.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum. Crown Prince of Lucis." The Prince introduced himself lazily.

The lone Genome of the group, grinned cheekily. "Zidane Tribal." He placed his hands behind his head, keeping his big grin present. "Resident thief and all around good guy."

Elrond's eyebrow rose as he said, "Interesting companions."

"I suppose we are, in a way," Sorom shrugged.

"If you wish to reunite with your other companions, all you need do is follow us." Elrond said with a slight smile.

"Well, our horses ran off. We'll most likely have to walk." Noctis pointed out.

"Would it not be faster if we offered to take you on horseback?" Elrond asked.

The five looked at each other then back at the lord of Rivendell. "That's fair." They answered, simultaneously. One by one, the warriors mounted on a horse behind an elf warrior. Lightning giving each of the male elves a quick warning on not to touch her.

Once on the horses they began their journey to Rivendell which wasn't long. After a few minutes they see the elves' home and they were amazed.

It was like something out of a storybook. Mountains with never-ending waterfalls. Forests that stretch beyond the eye could see. A city of white marble and silver. An aura of magic that filled each of the five outsiders until their souls radiated with mana.

Zidane's keen eyes spot a familiar group up ahead. "Hey, it's Gandalf and the others!" He exclaimed happily.

One of the elves blew his horn which signaled the elves inside that they were back as they made their way towards a narrow bridge and to the group of dwarves, Hobbit, and Gandalf with the dwarves looking ready for a fight.

"Close ranks!" Thorin shouted as the Dwarves readied their weapons.

"Wait! Guys, it's us!" Zidane tried to calm the Dwarves down as he disembarked from the steed he rode upon.

The elves began circling around the Dwarves and hobbit while Gandalf stood to the side.

The Dwarves looked at the elves ready for an attack, completely ignoring the humans with them until the horses came to a full stop.

"Gandalf." Elrond greeted with a smile.

"Lord Elrond." Gandalf said with a smile of his own before he walked to the elf lord.

Sorom, Lighting, Noctis, and Cloud disembarked from the equines that brought them to Rivendell. Zidane greeted the Dwarves cheerfully.

The explorer looked at the grey-garbed wizard. "You know him, Gandalf?" He inquired.

The Dwarves, hobbit, and humans looked on as Gandalf began talking to Elrond in the elvish tongue.

" _My friend!"_ Gandalf said with a bow. _"Where have you been?"_

" _We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South."_ Elrond answered as he dismounted from his horse. _"We slew a number of them by the Hidden Pass along with your human companions who had stayed behind to face them."_ He walked over and gave Gandalf a friendly hug before speaking in the tongue of Men. "Strange for Orcs to stray so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near."

"Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf said gesturing to the Dwarves, Hobbit, and humans.

"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain." Elrond greeted the dwarf prince.

"I do not believe we have met." Thorin inquired with suspicion.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain." Elrond spoke with no hint of aggression.

"Indeed? He made no mention of you." Thorin said to the elf lord, a bit harshly.

"Thorin, show some respect." Noctis informed the Dwarf prince. "This _is_ Lord Elrond's home. It is customary to be respectful to one's house."

Elrond spoke in elvish which no one but Gandalf understood.

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin growled, feeling like he was insulted which set the rest of the Dwarves off, only for Gandalf to say,

"No, Master Gloin, he's offering you food."

When Gandalf said, that all of the Dwarves, save for Thorin, huddled up and began quietly speaking to each other. After a while they all pulled back.

"Well, in that case, lead on." Gloin said a bit politely.

* * *

 **Two Hours Later - Dining Hall**

As the company were led into the magnificent halls of the elven household, Elrond directed the Dwarves to sit at a larger table. Gandalf, Thorin, and the five outsiders sat at a smaller one with Lord Elrond to inspect the three Elven swords that the wizard, dwarf prince, and human explorer discovered. Elf maids and servants brought food and drink to the table while musicians played on harps or flutes to lighten the mood of the dining hall. Kili, surprisingly enough, couldn't stop looking almost longingly at some of the beautiful elf women. Though it seemed the sentiment was returned when a few elf maidens blushed lightly at the three human males and one Genome, but Zidane, being the infamous flirt he is, tried to hit on a couple of the elf women. He failed… badly.

"Try it, just a mouthful." Dori assured his younger brother, who was holding a piece of lettuce.

"I don't like green food." Ori said as he sets the food down.

Dwalin grabbed a handful of salad but places it back into its bowl, looked around and asked. "Where's the meat?"

Oin clipped a small piece of apple, looking at it with a diminutive growl.

"Have they got any chips?" Ori asked sounding hopeful.

"Kind of you to invite us. Not really dressed for dinner." Gandalf said politely to Elrond.

"Well, you never are." Elrond joked, earning a chuckle from the wizard.

Kili looked at an elf maiden playing the lyre, to which Dwalin noticed, giving him a stern stare.

"I can't say I fancy elf maids myself, too thin. They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin. Not enough facial hair for me." The archer explained himself but stopped when an elf maid walked by and said, "Although that one there is not bad."

All of the Dwarves looked at said 'maid' only to see that it… wasn't one. Dwalin looked at Kili in amusement. "That's not an Elf maid."

Kili looked again and saw that what he thought he fancied was a woman but really was a man. This embarrassed the young dwarf as the others began laughing loudly at his folly.

"That's funny." Said the young archer as he could say nothing more due to the blood rushing into his cheeks.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Men…" She scoffed.

Noctis grinned lightly at the rosette. "They're just having a bit of fun." He added, taking a bite from a piece of bread that felt… oddly filling.

"We've all seen how these Dwarves have fun." The former Savior commented, folding her arms over her breastplate.

"This is _Orcrist_ , the Goblin-cleaver. A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the west, my kin." Elrond said after examining the blade and hands it back to Thorin. "May it serve you well."

"And this is _Glamdring_ , the Foehammer. Sword of the King of Gondolin." Elrond said as he looked at the new sword Gandalf handed him. "These were made for the Goblin Wars of the First Age."

"Little strange for such known weapons to be out in a troll's cave." Sorom commented.

"My guess they were discovered and the people who found them ended up as Troll food with the swords ending up as trophies." Noctis theorized.

Cloud nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a logical explanation."

The explorer took the sword he had taken from the cave. "What can you tell me about this?" He asked.

Elrond's eyes widened a margin. "This is…" He gently took the elven blade in hand. "This sword is _Anguirel_. A weapon wielded by Maeglin, a Lord of the House of the Mole in Gondolin during the First Age of the Sun. It is said to have been forged from iron that fell from heaven as a flaming star."

"Iron that fell from heaven as a flaming star?" Lightning repeated before coming to the conclusion on what metal it was forged from. "You mean a meteorite?"

"Yes," The Lord of Rivendell nodded. "It was forged by Maeglin's father. A Dark Elf metallurgist of high skill named Eöl. He was said to of devised Galvorn, a dark metal of great strength and malleability, to which he fashioned into his armor along with two great black swords. One of these swords being Anguirel."

"And this is that sword?" Gandalf asked, surprised.

Elrond nodded, looking at the blade once more. "I had heard that it was lost after Maeglin's death, but Fate seems to have brought it into your hands, my young friend." He smiled at Sorom. "May it serve you well."

Sorom looked down at the sword, amazed that such a famous weapon was now his. He had never wielded a sword forged from an actual meteorite before.

"Wow, now that is something." Zidane said impressed.

Cloud hummed in agreement. "Sounds interesting."

As they were talking about swords, Bilbo looked down at his sword.

"I wouldn't bother, laddie. Swords are named for the great deeds they do in war." Balin explained to the Hobbit.

"What are you saying, my sword hasn't seen battle?" Bilbo inquired.

"I'm not actually sure it is a sword. More of a letter opener, really." Balin said, causing Bilbo to look at him in surprise.

"How did you come by these?" Elrond asked Gandalf.

"We found them in a Troll-hoard on the Great East Road, shortly before, we were ambushed by Orcs." Gandalf answered.

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Elrond asked curiously.

"Traveling." Cloud answered bluntly.

"Excuse me." Thorin said as he stood up from his seat and walked away.

"Thirteen Dwarves, four men, one woman, and a Halfling. Strange traveling companions, Gandalf." Elrond said to the wizard.

"These are the descendants of the House of Durin. A noble, decent folk. They're surprisingly cultured. They've got a deep love of the arts." Gandalf said to the elf lord.

"Might want to rephrase that." Zidane gestured to the dwarves, who started singing in song, much to the annoyance of the elf musicians.

"All of it." Cloud said emotionlessly as food started flying with a head of cabbage flying past his head.

* * *

 **Night**

As the moon rose from the hills, the dwarves were taken to one area to sleep while the five humans were brought into separate rooms.

Noctis, dressed in a black robe that the elf maidens had loaned him, walked the halls as he looked upon the majesty of Rivendell. The quiet night, mixed with the chirps of insects, made the scene all the more reminiscent to home.

"A bit late for a walk, Noctis." The Crown Prince looked back only to be met with Lightning, dressed in a pure white robe that hugged her curves. Her rose-colored hair was moist from a recent bath and she smelled of lilacs.

"I just needed some fresh air to clear my head." The dark-haired Lucian shrugged. "The past few days have been pretty hectic."

"Yeah, getting almost eaten by a troll, chased by orcs, and feasting with elves, dwarves, and a hobbit is interesting." Lightning said with a nod.

Noctis shrugged. "That's an understatement." He added. "Though I've never seen anything like this before. The very air feels like it's radiating with magic."

"With all we've seen in our lives, an entire place radiating with magic might just be possible." Lightning said with a sigh.

The two warriors stood there in silence, watching the moon reflect off of the lakes in the Elven haven.

"Got a boyfriend?" The prince of Lucis asked out of the blue.

"W-what brought this up?" The former Savior exclaimed with a light pink dusting on her cheeks.

Noctis shrugged. "Truthfully, I was curious. I'm not much of a people person but from what I could guess, you're way too stiff at times."

"Well... No, I don't have a boyfriend." Lightning said, looking away.

"Shame, you're a pretty beautiful woman." The Lucian admitted.

"T-thank you." The rosette stuttered, unsure how to react to the complement.

"No problem." Noctis inclined his head. "I was supposed to be engaged to my fiancee back at my own home, but things went wrong because of some deluded bastard's wish to destroy my world."

"That must have been horrible." Lightning said, now looking at Noctis.

"It was, but I managed to stop it with the help of my friends." The Crown Prince shrugged. Although, he didn't mention that he had to sacrifice himself to save Eos. His soul forever bound to the Lucian Crystal along with his fiancee, his father, and those that wielded the power of the Lucian Royal Family.

"Do you ever regret them? The choices you made?" Lightning asked.

The young man looked up at the night sky. "To be honest: I don't. If I were to regret the decisions I've had to make, I'd be spitting on the graves of every single soul that died for me. It would also earn me the ire of my brothers." His thoughts drifted back to Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus. "So no, I don't regret my choices. In fact, it was those choices that helped forge me into the man I am today."

"Then your friends were lucky to have someone like you." Lightning said with a thin smile.

"What about you?" Noctis inquired. "Don't you have any friends back in your own world?"

"I did but never for long." Lightning said with a bit of regret.

"Wanna talk about it?"

The rosette shook her head. "No, not tonight. I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Noctis respected her wish, focusing back on the quiet night of Rivendell.

* * *

 **Weathertop**

The sound of Wargs howling filled the eerie night air.

The two survivors of the hunting party stalked towards a figure while other Orcs looked at them with snarls. Several of the Wargs growled viciously at them.

The two Orcs looked at a snarling white Warg while standing at the edge, looking over the forests and plains… was a pale Orc with a metal clawed left hand.

" _ **The Dwarves, Master…"**_ The leader of the hunting party spoke in Black Speech. _**"We lost them."**_ Wearily, he glanced around him when two Wargs stalked towards him and his remaining lackey. _**"Ambushed by Elvish filth, we were-"**_

" _ **I don't want excuses."**_ The pale Orc cut the maggot off. He turned around, revealing himself to be Azog the Defiler. He slowly walked down the steps while affectionately patting the white Warg's head. _**"I wanted the head of the Dwarf King!"**_

The cowering Orc shook in terror before his master as Azog glared down at him with his full height. _**"We were outnumbered,"**_ He tried to explain. _**"There was nothing we could do. The five humans that traveled with the Dwarf-scum wielded powerful magic and were skilled warriors. I barely escaped with my life."**_

Azog placed a hand, almost affectionately on the Orc's head. _**"Far better you had…**_ " He smirked cruelly. _**"...paid for it."**_ With a breath, the pale Orc lifted the sniveling urchin by his grubby neck with his metal claw then shouted in Black Speech, tossing his useless servant aside as the Wargs pounced on him, devouring the former leader of the hunting party.

The sole remaining member of the hunting party shook in fear as his master marched up the steps.

" _ **The Dwarf-scum will show themselves soon enough."**_ Azog looked upon his servants. _**"Send out word, there is a price on their heads."**_ Then roared as his soldiers rode upon their Wargs to send the message to their allies.

" _ **Azog,"**_ A raspy voice spoke in Black Speech, prompting the pale Orc to kneel in sheer loyalty. Stepping out of the shadows is a figure as tall as a Man, covered in black armor that possessed a dragon motif to it. In their right clawed hand is a wicked spear that glowed with an eerie purple light. The helm that rested upon the figure's head looked dangerously close to that of a wyvern with a pair of glowing yellow eyes. A dark blue coat of arms flowed from the figure's back, revealing a crest of a black dragon with its jaws opened to spew fire. _**"The filthy maggot spoke of five humans."**_

" _ **Yes, my Lord,"**_ Azog replied, keeping his head down. _**"If what he said is true then your enemy has summoned forth her Champions."**_

" _ **Ah, my sweet sister always did love to play the little hero."**_ The black armored figure chuckled harshly. _**"Very well. I shall meet these warriors in combat when the time arrives. Continue your search for Oakenshield. Sauron must have those Mountains before they can be claimed by the Durin-folk."**_

" _ **It shall be done, Lord Belmont."**_ The pale Orc nodded.

* * *

 **Rivendell - Morning**

Sorom and Bilbo, after awakening from their sleep, decided to explore together to gauge atmosphere of the Elves' home.

They entered what could've been a hall of records. The human and the Hobbit noticed a statue, holding what looked to be the shards of some sword. Although Sorom couldn't read the language, Bilbo understood the name written on the blade.

 _Narsil_

The duo looked upon a painting that seemed to detail a great struggle between two prominent figures: A human knight wielding a broken sword of light and a dark figure shrouded in shadow.

Sorom thought there must've been some form of ancient history between these two foes. Bilbo, on the other hand, stared at what looked to be a golden ring on the forefinger of the dark warrior.

Minutes later, Bilbo walked off and found himself on a balcony looking at Rivendell.

"Not with your companions?" A familiar voice asked as Elrond walked up next to him.

"Uh, I shan't be missed." Bilbo answered.

This confused Elrond to which the Hobbit noticed.

"The truth is most of them don't think I should be on this journey." Bilbo said to the confused elf lord.

"Indeed. I heard that Hobbits are quite resilient." Elrond complimented.

"Really?" Bilbo asked intrigued at which Elrond nods his head.

"I also heard they are very fond of the comforts of home." Elrond said to the hobbit.

"I have heard it is unwise to seek the Council of Elves. As they will answer the question with yes and no." Bilbo said and Elrond gave him a look.

Thinking that he insulted the elf, he was about to say something until he noticed that Elrond was trying to not laugh, easing his mind.

"You are very welcomed to stay here if that is your wish." Elrond said, patting Bilbo on the shoulder before walking off.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

In another part of the sanctuary, the Dwarves huddled around a fire cooking and laughing about as if they weren't almost eaten by trolls and chased by orcs the day before.

Bilbo was off to the side before he saw Gandalf walking by talking to Elrond.

"Of course I was going to tell you. I was waiting for this very chance. And really, I think you can trust that I know what I'm doing." Gandalf said to the elf lord.

"Do you? That dragon has slept for sixty years. What would happen should your plan fail, if you wake that beast?" Elrond asked the wizard.

"What if we succeed? If the Dwarves take back the mountain, our defenses in the east will be strengthened." Gandalf said.

"It is a dangerous move, Gandalf." Elrond added.

"It is also dangerous to do nothing. Oh, come, the throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright. What is it you fear?" Gandalf asked while Bilbo looked behind him to find Thorin behind him.

"Have you forgotten? A strain of madness runs deep in that family. His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?" Elrond said to the wizard. "Gandalf, these decisions do not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle-earth."

The Wizard and the Lord of Rivendell marched up a fleet of stairs. "With or without our help, these Dwarves will march on the mountain." Gandalf explained. "They're determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he is answerable to anyone. Nor, for that matter, am I."

"It is not me you must answer to." Elrond clarified as they entered a secret meeting area.

Gandalf looked and saw someone standing on an open balcony. There, with the moonlight glinting off her figure, is a female elf with long golden hair, fair skin, and light blue eyes. She was dressed in a flowing white dress but her feet were left bare.

"Lady Galadriel." Gandalf said with a mystified smile.

" _Mithrandir. It has been a long time."_ Galadriel said calmly.

" _Age may have changed me… but not so the Lady of Lorien."_ Gandalf complemented, causing the female elf to smile. "I had no idea Lord Elrond sent for you." He commented in the Language of Man, turning to the elf lord.

"He didn't." A new voice said, causing Gandalf to freeze as he recognized that voice.

Standing behind him was an elderly man dressed in white robes with long white hair and black eyes. This man also held a black staff with a white orb on top.

"I did." The wizard said calmly.

Gandalf turned around and gave a smile. "Ah." He bowed respectfully, "Saruman."

"You've been busy of late, my friend." The man in white commented as he gave a warm smile.

The four soon were sitting around a stone table and began talking.

"Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?" Saruman questioned.

"Unnoticed? No. I'm simply doing what I feel to be right." Gandalf replied.

"The dragon has long been on your mind." Galadriel pointed out, looking at the grey wizard.

"That is true, my lady." Gandalf answered, "Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect."

"What enemy?" Saruman asked before realizing what Gandalf was saying, "Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength."

"Does it not worry you that the last of the Dwarf rings should simply vanish along with its bearer? Of the seven Dwarf rings, four were consumed by dragons, two were taken by Sauron before he fell in Mordor. The fate of the last Dwarf ring remains unknown." Gandalf inquired but he was met with silence. "The ring that was worn by Thrain." He added.

"Without the ruling Ring of Power the seven are of no value to the enemy." Saruman pointed out while Gandalf was silent, "To control the other rings, he needs the One. And that ring was lost long, long ago. It was swept out to sea by the waters of the Anduin."

"Gandalf, for 400 years we have lived in peace, a hard-won, watchful peace." Elrond added.

"Are we? Are we at peace?" Gandalf asked and he was met with silence as he continued. "Trolls have come down from the mountains. They are raiding villages, destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the road."

"Hardly a prelude to war." Elrond pointed out.

"Always you must meddle, looking for trouble where none exists." Saruman said.

"Let him speak." Galadriel said.

"There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug. Something far more powerful. We can remain blind to it, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you. A sickness lies over the Greenwood. The woodsmen who live there now call it Mirkwood. And they say…" Gandalf paused, unsure of what to say.

"Well? Don't stop now. Tell us what the woodsmen say." Saruman ushered.

"They speak of a Necromancer, living in Dol Guldur. A sorcerer who can summon the dead." Gandalf said to the two elves and one wizard.

"That's absurd. No such power exists in this world. This Necromancer is nothing more than a mortal man. A conjurer dabbling in black magic." Saruman said waving away any worry.

"And so I thought too. But Radagast has seen…" Gandalf stopped when Saruman repeated the name.

"Radagast? Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown. He's a foolish fellow." Saruman said with a bit of disdain towards said wizard.

"Well, he's odd, I grant you. He lives a solitary life." Gandalf said almost fondly.

"It's not that. It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms. They've addled his brain and yellowed his teeth. I've warned him. It's unbefitting one of the Istari to be wandering the woods…" Saruman started but Gandalf wasn't paying attention as Galadriel began telepathically speaking to him.

" _You carry something."_ She inquired, feeling a sense of dread. _"It came to you from Radagast. He found it in Dol Guldur."_

" _Yes."_ The Grey Wizard replied, telepathically.

Galadriel looked upon her old friend with a wary eye. _"Show me."_

"Listen to me. I would think I was talking to myself for all the attention that he paid. By all means…" Saruman stopped when Gandalf placed something on the table.

"What is that?" Elrond asked in curiosity.

"A relic of Mordor." Galadriel answered for Gandalf, a bit fearfully, as Elrond reached for it, causing him to stop.

Elrond finally moved the pieces of fabric away to reveal some type of dagger that sent out an aura of evil.

"A Morgul Blade." Elrond said, recognizing the weapon.

"Made for the Witch King of Angmar." Galadriel added before she remembered something important, "And buried with him. When Angmar fell, the Men of the north took his body and all that he possessed and sealed it within the High Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock, they buried him. In a tomb so dark, it would never come to light."

"This is not possible. A powerful spell lies upon those tombs. They cannot be opened." Elrond said with concern.

"What proof do we have this weapon came from Angmar's grave?" Saruman inquired.

"I have none." Gandalf answered.

"Because there is none. Let us examine what we know. A single orc pack has dare cross the Bruinen. A dagger from a bygone age has been found. And a human sorcerer who calls himself 'The Necromancer' has taken up residence in a ruined fortress. It's not so very much after all. The question of his dwarvish company however troubles me deeply. I'm not convinced Gandalf. I do not feel I can condone such a quest. If they'd come to me, I might have spared them this disappointment. I do not pretend to understand your reason for raising their hopes." Saruman said to the grey wizard.

" _They are leaving."_ Galadriel telepathically told Gandalf.

" _Yes."_ Gandalf said back telepathically.

" _You knew."_ Galadriel stated with a sliver of a smile with Gandalf giving her an innocent shrug.

"No, I'm afraid there is nothing else for it." Saruman said before an elf walked over.

"My Lord Elrond. The Dwarves, they're gone." The elf told them.

"And what about the humans?" The Lord of Rivendell questioned.

"They are also gone." The elf answered.

Elrond glanced at Gandalf. "Something you'd like to say, Gandalf?"

Gandalf just shrugged innocently.

* * *

 **Oakenshield Company**

After sneaking out of Rivendell, the party of Dwarves, humans, and a hobbit traveled along a mountain path with a heavy thunderstorm raining down upon them.

"Alright! Hold on!" Thorin shouted over the wind and heavy rain.

The company navigates their way across the cliff before part of the cliff that Bilbo was on crumbled off and caused him to almost fall over if it were not for Dwalin who grabbed his backpack and pulled him back.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted.

Dwalin soon saw something in the air and shouted. "Look out!"

They all look and to their surprise and horror flew a giant boulder before it collides with the mountain and shatters.

"Take cover!" Thorin shouted and they all began taking cover from the smaller rocks from the boulder.

"This is too dangerous! We have to turn back!" Sorom called out from the sounds of thunder.

"This is not a thunder storm, it's a thunder battle! Look" Balin shouted as they saw what looked like a giant made of stone tearing off a chunk of a mountain.

"What the hell!?" Zidane exclaimed in comical shock.

"Oh bless me, the legends are true! Giants! Stone giants!" Bofur shouted as the stone giant threw the boulder at another one, striking it in where a face would be.

"Take cover you fools!" Thorin shouted.

Everyone hugged themselves against the mountain wall, taking heed to avoid any falling debris from the clashing giants.

As they did, the ground under them began to shake before splitting but when they looked up, they were surprised and scared because they were standing on the very legs of another stone giant.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lightning growled, holding onto the cliff edge with an iron grip.

As the giant stood up, another headbutts it, causing the giant to tumble back and its left leg collides with part of the mountain.

"Move it, run!" Thorin shouted before he led most of the company off of the giant's left leg and onto the mountain cliffside.

Bilbo, Zidane, and Noctis were unfortunately still on the giant's leg along with a quarter of the Dwarves.

The giant they were on ducks under a punch from one giant before punching it in the face but failed to see a boulder crash into its head, knocking it off and killing the giant.

The giant's body stumbles, moving its left leg and get the two groups to see each other before its leg leg smashed into the mountainside, seemingly killing the others.

"NO!" Thorin shouted in horror.

Sorom, Lightning, and Cloud could only look on in shock at the apparent deaths of their two otherworldly comrades.

The giant's leg pulls back to show no one on it and they all run along the cliff to where the leg crashed into.

To their immediate relief, they found the Dwarves, Zidane, and Noctis on the rocky ground, terrified but alive. However, one member of their party seemed to be missing…

"Where's Bilbo?" The Genome of the five travelers questioned.

Soon they began looking around before finding him hanging for dear life over the ledge.

"Grab him!" Cloud shouted.

Ori and Bofur reach over but Bilbo almost lost his grip.

"Bilbo! Grab my hand!" Bofur shouted, trying to reach for the Hobbit.

Bilbo could not reach far enough because of his position until Thorin jumped down, grabbing onto the cliff before grabbing the Hobbit and pushing him to Ori and Bofur, who pulled him back up.

Once that happened Thorin almost lost his grip until Dwalin grabbed him and helped the king back up.

"Pretty ballsy move there, Thorin." Noctis commented despite the rain pattering down on his form.

"I'd thought we lost our burglar." Dwalin joked.

"He's been lost, ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." Thorin stated sternly.

Sorom noticed the dispositioned look on Bilbo's face. He had enough of Thorin talking down the Hobbit. "Well, at least he had the courage to come along!"

Thorin just ignores him as he walked to an opening in the cliff and looked to Dwalin.

"Dwalin!" Thorin called out and gestured to the cave before he and the hammer wielding Dwarf walk into the cave.

Wordlessly, the company entered the confines of the cave, seeking shelter from the rain. They were unaware of the dark shadow watching them from afar with interest.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for this chapter. Next one will feature the Goblins and, if possible, Bilbo's meeting with Gollum.**

 **All of you can guess on who our mystery warrior is that sides with the forces of evil. Guarantee that most of you will come up with crazy assumptions.**

 **Anyways, I'd like to thank, my pal, Nexus Gundam for assisting me with the chapter. Anyone else with suggestions for the story is welcome to leave it in the review box or PM it to me.**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter. If there is anything wrong with the story, please notify me at once. Refrain from using hurtful criticisms or flames.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	4. Escape the Goblin Horde

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of 'Unexpected Journey'. A few people have asked that the Final Fantasy characters get more attuned in the story. You're all absolutely right. Now that I look at it, it seemed that it's more like the movies with the FF characters coming along the ride.**

 **In any case, we've come to the point in which the company encounters the Goblin King and his horde. Bilbo and Gollum's destined meeting will ensure.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 _Italics -_ Elvish/Telepathy

 _ **Bold Italics**_ \- Black Speech

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 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:** Escape the Goblin Horde

* * *

Azog's Warg sniffed the ground, picking up the scent of the dwarves and the humans with them.

" _ **The Dwarves have taken the mountain trail."**_ Azog smirked, eager to spill the blood of the Dwarf who cut off his hand.

Before his pack could continue the hunt, a familiar raspy voice spoke out, _**"Hold, Azog,"**_ Stepping out of the shadows came Lord Belmont. _**"Let the Goblin horde have their fun."**_

The pale Orc growled in frustration but obeyed the order nonetheless.

* * *

 **Oakenshield Company**

After a quick dinner break, the Dwarves and the humans slept quietly for the night, save for one certain Hobbit.

Bilbo opens his eyes while everyone else slept before he grabbed all of his stuff and began packing up before finishing up by picking up his hiking stick.

Unfortunately, just before he could leave, two members of the party had awoken from their sleep.

"What are you doing?" Zidane asked, rubbing the crust from his eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bofur asked, fully awake.

"Back to Rivendell." Bilbo answered with a serious expression on his face.

The Genome and the Dwarf looked at each other then back at the Hobbit.

"But why?" Zidane inquired. "Why do you want to go back?"

"No, you can't go back now. You're part of the company. You're one of us." Bofur whispered as to not wake the others up.

"Really, am I? Thorin said I shouldn't have come and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have ran out my door." Bilbo said with all three unaware that Thorin was awake and listening to them.

"You're home sick, I understand." Bofur said.

"Bilbo, it's perfectly normal to feel that you're out of place." Zidane added with a grin. "We've all been there."

"No, you don't understand! None of you do!" Bilbo whispered before focusing on Bofur, "You're Dwarves. You're used to this life, living on the road never sticking to one place, never belonging anywhere!"

Bilbo was silent as he saw the look from Bofur.

"I'm sorry…" Bilbo whispered.

"No, you're right." Bofur said before turning to the sleeping companions. "We don't belong anywhere."

"That's not true." Zidane spoke a little sadly, earning looks from both the Hobbit and the Dwarf. "Home is where the heart yearns. If anything, you guys should be lucky you have people to call family. Me? I've never really had anybody to call a brother, a sister, a cousin…" He paused. "A parent… No, I've had none of those things but on my journey, I've met people that I've grown to care about. They were my friends and my family. You see, here, you all have a place to call home but me? I'm an outcast. No human would think to look past this," He gestured to his yellow-furred monkey tail.

They were silent before Bofur noticed something.

"What's that?" Bofur asked, pointing to Bilbo's sword which he pulled just enough to reveal the blade… and it was glowing blue.

Bilbo looked at the two in realization as he remembered what was said when the sword glowed and Thorin raised his head as he saw sand sliding down into lines in the ground.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Thorin shouted, waking everyone up.

"W-What?!" Sorom snorted, shooting from his sleep, his black hair a mess.

"The hell's going on?" Noctis groaned, rubbing his neck after sleeping on stiff rocks.

Suddenly the ground they were on opened up and they all fell down, going down until they crashed into into a wood and metal net with a wooden bridge.

"Ooh," Cloud groaned, feeling the weight of a certain Dwarf's body on his back. "Bombur, get off! You're crushing my spine!"

Before the fat Dwarf could do anything, they hear chatter, causing all to look and see a very large group of goblins running at them.

"Get up! Everyone get up!" Sorom shouted, reaching for Anguirel to fight off the threat.

But he was too slow and he was grabbed along with the other humans, Dwarves, and the hobbit before they were being led away.

As they were being led away Bilbo stopped and dropped down, using his small height to his advantage as the goblins forced the humans and Dwarves away to sneak away. However, among the humans, only four were accounted for. Overhead, Zidane hung on a stalagmite with his tail, watching as his friends and companions were taken by the goblins.

Bilbo moved to a hiding spot and watched as the group was led away.

Once the goblins were out of sight he drew his sword which the entire blade was glowing blue.

"Psst! Bilbo, up here!" Zidane quietly called out from above the Hobbit.

Bilbo nearly jumped out of his hiding spot before he saw who it was.

"Zidane? How did you get away?" Bilbo asked in surprise.

"I'm a thief. I have my ways." The Genome grinned widely while his monkey tail released the stalagmite, allowing Zidane to drop beside the Hobbit.

"Well, how do we save them?" Bilbo asked in confusion.

"Stealth, obviously." Zidane answered. "Keep your sword out. You might need it."

Suddenly a goblin dropped from above and drew his sword with a menacing growl.

"Like for right now?" Bilbo asked.

"Yep, for right now." Zidane replied as he brought out his Mage Mashers.

Soon Zidane felt a few pebbles land on his shoulder, causing him to look up to see a goblin falling towards him face first with its hands reaching out to him.

With a cheeky grin, Zidane brought his daggers to bear then slashed the goblin across the face.

But he forgot that the Goblin was falling at him and the goblin smashed him to the ground while Bilbo did his best to fend off the goblin that was attacking him.

The four fought for a few minutes before Bilbo's opponent decided to jump on his back, causing Bilbo to start stumbling around.

"Get off me you piece of filth!" Zidane shouted as he tried to get the goblin off him as it began hitting him.

Even though he was stabbing it, the goblin was still not giving up until his foot landed on nothing but air, causing him and his opponent to fall off the edge.

"Zidane! WAH!" Bilbo soon followed after Zidane and fell along with him when the Goblin jumped him.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

The rest of the company were forced by the goblins to follow them deeper into the caverns. Their weapons taken from them as the mutant creatures snarled and chittered at the Dwarves and humans.

The walk was long and they soon found themselves in what they could guess was the goblin's home.

"Where are they taking us?" Noctis asked as he was shoved forward.

Cloud, despite the fact he could easily escape by using his superior SOLDIER-enhanced abilities, couldn't very well leave his party behind. His mako eyes landed on a rather… disgusting sight. "Maybe to that ugly bastard."

Sitting on some kind of throne was a big fat goblin with some flesh dangling from where his chin would probably have been and had a staff in his left hand while a crown rested on its head. He was also singing a god-awful song that hurt the ears of the Oakenshield Company.

"Alright, I'm gonna be sick." Noctis muttered, looking a little green.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies, thieves, assassins?!" The Goblin king demanded as he stomped off his throne, looking at the Dwarves and humans.

"Dwarves, men, and a woman, your malevolence." A goblin said to the king.

"Dwarves, men, and a woman?" The king repeated in surprise.

"Is this guy serious?" Sorom asked with a big sweatdrop running down the back of his head.

"We found them on the front porch." The same Goblin said, gesturing to the captured group.

"We'll don't just stand there! Search them! Every crack, every crevice!" The king ordered and the goblins began searching them.

"Oi, get your hands off me!" Noctis shouted, trying to shove the gross creatures away.

Lightning snarled at any that dared to get near her. The Goblins wisely avoided the female's wrath.

The men weren't saved from the goblins because they soon were searched until almost everything was taken off of them.

"What are you doing in these parts?" The Goblin king asked but was met with silence.

"Speak." The king said looking at the group but they remained silent.

"Very well, if they will not talk, we'll make them squak! Being up the Mangler! Bring up the Bonecracker!" The Goblin king shouted, causing the goblins to cheer.

"Oh, well that sounds fun." Cloud sarcastically remarked.

"Start with the youngest!" The king shouted.

"Which one of us is the youngest?" Sorom asked fearful.

"Wait!" Thorin shouted, getting their attention.

Thorin makes his way past his company and the goblins where the goblin king's eyes widen in recognition as a smile appeared on his disgusting face.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin, son of Thrain, Thror, King under the Mountain." The Goblin king said giving a dramatic bow.

"Oh, I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain! And you're not a king. Which makes you, nobody really." The Goblin king said, causing some silence while a small few goblins laughed lightly.

"Wow, funny, where'd that come from, your ugly ass mother?" Noctis shot back.

"It seems we have a volunteer for the Bone Cracker." The Goblin king said, giving Noctis an evil smile before focusing his attention on Thorin. "But for now I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just a head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of who I speak. An old enemy of yours."

Thorin looked up at the fat goblin who got his full attention at the mention of an old enemy.

"A pale orc astrid white warg." The Goblin king said.

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed." Thorin said lightly before shouting, "He was slain in battle long ago!"

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The king asked before he began to laugh with his subjects laughing as well.

The king walked over to a goblin that was hanging from what looked like a suspender and a zip line.

"Send word to the Pale orc, tell him I have his prize." The Goblin king said to the goblin that writes down the message before he begins sliding down the makeshift zip line to his destination.

* * *

 **Crevice**

Zidane awoke with a groan. He looked around and found the corpse of the goblin that had tried to climb onto him. At least the ugly critter is dead.

"Bilbo?" He spoke softly, sitting up albeit with a bit of pain. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a Potion. The thief took a swig of the medicine, grimacing at the bitter touch but swallowed it all the same.

Bilbo opens his eyes and blinked. They heard deep breathing and both look to see a goblin lying on its back while a few feet away a goblin lied with its neck at an odd angle with multiple lacerations.

They both hear another kind of breathing and both hide before some deformed person began crawling out and towards the still breathing goblin.

"Yes, yes, yes." The creature said, circling around the surviving goblin.

"Yes! Gollum, Gollum!" The creature said before moving around and grabbed the goblin by the legs before it begins to drag it away.

The goblin soon regained consciousness and began attacking the creature who grabs a nearby rock to defend itself but as it did they notice a gold ring fall out of a pocket in its loincloth.

They both feel strange when looking at the ring before the creature beats the goblin and began dragging it away once again.

As it dragged the goblin away the creature was muttering some words that they barely could make out as it moved further and further away.

"Did you see that?" Bilbo asked as he and Zidane came out of cover.

"Kinda wish I didn't." The Genome grimaced.

They were about to move but Bilbo stopped to look down at the gold ring which lies at his feet. For some reason Bilbo felt drawn to the ring like it was calling him.

Bilbo looks at the ring before they hear the creature speaking but because of how far he likely is and the tunnels it echoes, it was hard for them to understand.

"We shouldn't stay here. We need to find the others." Zidane whispered to the Hobbit. He felt uneasy about the ring that Bilbo picked up. There was something about it that was just… evil.

They two moved around trying to find a way out until they stop when they see the creature on top of the goblin.

Bilbo held his sword out of sight before the goblin tried to grab the creature but it smashed a rock into its face and the goblin goes limp.

Bilbo looks at his sword which flickered before the blue light vanished.

With the goblin dead, they look where the creature was but found it missing, unaware that the creature was slowly approaching.

"Where is it?" Zidane asked quietly as he readied his daggers.

His answer came when the creature climbed over the rock they were using for cover and lands in front of the two.

"Blesses and splashes precious, that's a meaty mouthful." The creature said and reached for Bilbo but stopped when he felt the tip of his sword at his chest.

"Gollum, Gollum!" The creature coughed as it slowly backed away.

"Back! Stay back! I'm warning you, don't come any closer!" Bilbo said as he and Zidane stood up.

"It's got an elvish blade but it's not an elfses." The creature said as he crawled away.

"Not an elfses no, what is it precious? What is it?" The creature said in confusion.

"My name, is Bilbo Baggins." Bilbo answered.

"Bagginses? What is a Bagginses precious?" The creature said, still confused.

"I'm a Hobbit from the Shire." Bilbo answered.

"And I'm Zidane Tribal," The Genome kept a watchful eye on the bony creature. "Who are you?"

The creature looked to Zidane with a curious look before gaining a smile, focusing on Bilbo with a look that said he was looking at a piece of meat.

"Oh we like Goblinses, batses, and fishes but we hasn't tried Hobbitses or Tribalses before!" The creature said as he slowly approached Bilbo, "Is it soft, is it juicy?"

"Now, now! Keep your distance!" Bilbo said, swinging his sword to keep the creature back while Zidane stood behind Bilbo.

"I will use this, if I have to!" Bilbo said, pointing the tip at the creature while Zidane still standing behind Bilbo, wanting to stay away from the obviously hungry animal/man/thing.

The creature screeched before going silent as Bilbo swung again.

"We don't want any trouble! You understand?! Just show us the way to get out of here, and we'll be on our way." Bilbo said to the creature.

"Why? Is it's lost?" The creature asked.

"Yes and we won't to get unlost as soon as possible." Bilbo answered.

"Oh we knows, we knows safe passages for Hobbitses and Tribalses! Safes paths in the dark-SHUT UP!" The creature said at first in a friendly tone before growling and looking down.

"I didn't say anything." Bilbo said in confusion.

"Wasn't talking to you." The creature said to Bilbo as if he was telling someone he was busy before he moved to the side and began talking to himself, "Unless we was precious, we was."

"Okay, seems we've landed in the hovel of a crazy person." Zidane deadpanned.

"Look I don't know what your game is-" Bilbo was interrupted by the being who jumped onto its hiding rock saying, "Games! We love games doesn't we precious? Does it's like games? Does it, does it, does it like to play?"

"Maybe." Bilbo answered for himself.

"Are we seriously gonna play with this guy?" The thief questioned quietly.

"It's either this or let him look at us like food, plus he was... a little vague on the way out." Bilbo whispered to the Genome.

Zidane groaned but nodded in reluctance. "Fine, let's get this over with so we can get out of here."

"What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up, up it goes, and yet never grows?" The creature asked.

"The mountain." Bilbo answered.

"Yes, yes! Let's have another one. Yes, yes, do it, do it, go on. Ask us." The creature said joyfully before it turns into a look of anger, "No! No, no riddles! Come on, finish them off! Finish it now! Gollum, Gollum!"

The creature was about to attack before Bilbo moved over, stopping the being and said, "No, no, no, no! We want to play. We do. We want to play, we can see you are good at this game."

The creature looks down before raising his head to show a smile.

Zidane understood what the Hobbit was trying to do. "Oh yes, you seem like you're really good at this game. Which would make it all the more challenging."

"So why don't we have a game of riddles? Just the three of us." Bilbo said to the creature.

"Yes, yes, just, just us." The creature said to Bilbo and Zidane.

"Yes, yes, and if we win, you show us, the way out." Bilbo said.

"Yes, yes." The creature said joyfully before turning menacing, "And if its loses, what then? Well if its loses precious then eats them! If Bagginses or Tribalses loses, we eat them whole."

There was a moment of silence with both Hobbit and Genome contemplating their next move.

"Fair enough." Bilbo said for himself.

"Fair enough!?" Zidane exclaimed in comical shock.

Bilbo just sheathed his sword and looked at the creature.

"Well, Bagginses first." The creature said.

Bilbo tries to think of something before coming up with a riddle.

"Thirty white horses on a red hill, first they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still." Bilbo said.

The creature was silent, thinking what the answer to the riddle was, a few times he thinks he had the answer but stopped before finally getting it, "Teeth? Teeth!"

The creature laughs as he moves, "Yes my precious! Breath! We, only have nine!"

The creature shows its mouth, revealing nine teeth in its mouth.

"Charming…" The blonde boy grimaced at the sight.

"...Our turn." The creature said as it crawled to the side, "Voiceless, it cries, wingless, flutters, toothless, bites, mouthless, mutters." The creature said.

"Just a moment." Bilbo said as he walked to the water.

"Oh, we knows, we knows-SHUT UP!" The creature said to itself.

"Wind." Bilbo whispered before looking towards the creature's location, "It's wind, of course it is."

"Very clever Hobbitses! Very clever!" The creature said crawling towards the Hobbit who drew his sword and pointed it at the creature, keeping it back.

"Uh, uh, uh, uh! His turn." The Hobbit said, pointing to the Genome.

"Hmm…" Zidane snapped his fingers. "I'm by your side, yet you do not know. I appear at day, but am gone by night. I am your oldest friend that keeps out of sight. What am I?"

The creature was silent, thinking about the answer for a full minute before looking down. The creature cried up smacking his head a few times before coming up with the answer.

"Shadow, its shadow!" The creature said.

"Huh, correct." Zidane nodded. He actually thought he had the creature that time.

"Uh, my turn?" Bilbo asked.

"I think so." Zidane nodded.

"Uh, a box without hinges, key, or lid yet golden treasure inside is hid." Bilbo said causing the creature to look to the side.

He moves to the side muttering about the riddle.

"Well?" Bilbo asked.

"It's nasty." The creature said moving to the water before holding the side of a rock.

"Give up?" Bilbo asked.

"Give us a chance precious give us a chance!" The creature said before continuing with his thinking before coming up with the answer.

"Eggses! Eggses!" The creature cheered with Bilbo just minding his own business before raising his sword when he sees a bat foy by, completely ignoring what the creature was so joyful about.

Zidane looks to Bilbo before both look to the creature, only to find it missing.

"We have one for you." The creature said, sounding close, closer to Zidane the most.

"All things, it devours, birds, beasts, trees, flowers, gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stone to meal." The creature said, Zidane was silent for a moment.

"Answer us." the creature said with a bit of an echo.

"Please give him a moment I gave you a good long while." Bilbo said for Zidane who was thinking.

The Genome thought about the riddle. It was confusing for him but there was something about it that sparked a memory about magic. It sounded almost like…

"Time… The answer is time!" The thief exclaimed.

The creature growled in annoyance.

"Last question." The creature said to Bilbo.

"Ask us. Ask us!" The creature demanded.

"Yes, yes alright." Bilbo said before he walked over to the water.

Bilbo puts his hand unconsciously to his pocket, making him confused when he feels something in it.

"What have I got... in my pocket?" Bilbo asked in confusion.

"Huh?" Zidane tilted his head in confusion then realized the simplicity of it. "Oh…!"

"That's no fair. No fair! What's a game of who's?!" The creature demanded, tossing a rock it seemed to have been holding.

"Hey, it's Bilbo's turn so you have to answer the question." The Genome thief of the duo pointed out.

"Three guesses precious. It must give us three!" The creature growled.

"Three guesses, very well, ask away." Bilbo said, being gentlemanly.

"Handses!" The creature guessed but Bilbo held out his open hand which was not even in his pocket.

"Wrong, guess again." Bilbo said.

The creature was mumbling to itself, grabbing and tossing rocks around, smacking the ground along with his head.

"Knife! Oh shut up!" It shouted at first before growling at itself.

"Wrong again, last guess." Bilbo said.

"String or nothing." The creature said.

"Two guesses at once, wrong both times." Bilbo said, causing the creature to moan in disappointment as he falls onto his side.

"Oi, stop whining. You wanted to play this game so you have to follow the rules." Zidane scolded the bony creature.

"Come it, we won the game. You said you'd show us the way out." Bilbo said walking up next to his companion.

"Did we says so precious? Did we say so?" The creature asked before slowly turning its head to show a menacing glare, "What has it gots in its pocketses?!"

"That's not a concern on yours. You lost." Bilbo said to the creature.

"Bilbo, what did you take?" Zidane asked apprehensively.

"Lost? Lost? Lost?" The creature said insanely as it slowly crawled towards the two who slowly backed away and reached into his loincloth's pocket until he stopped when he felt it empty.

He looked down and began searching for something.

"Where is it?! Where is it?! No! AH!" The creature began screeching as he began looking around, tossing bones in random directions, "Where is it?! No!"

The creature jumped to the water and splashed, hoping to find something, "Lost! Splashes and splashes! The precious is lost!"

Bilbo stealthily took something out of his pocket while Zidane was focused on the creature.

"What have you lost?" Bilbo asked.

The blonde, monkey-tailed thief kept his daggers ready for a coming skirmish.

"Mustn't ask us! Not its business! No! Gollum! Gollum!" The creature cried as he began looking at the way crying.

Soon the creature was silent for a good few seconds.

"What... has it got... in its nasty... little... pocketses?! The creature asked quietly.

The creatures turned with a look of realization, "It stole it… it stole it!"

The creature screeched, tossing a rock at Bilbo and Zidane, missing Bilbo and almost hitting Zidane in the face.

"Hey, watch it!" The Genome shouted.

"Run!" Bilbo said as he began to run away from the crazed creature. Zidane followed after the Hobbit with the snarling being following right behind.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

As the party is being dragged to the torture devices, the Goblin King sang a song of said torture.

As this happened a goblin picked up Orcrist but when it pulled it an inch from the sheath the goblin screeched in terror where it tosses the sword to the ground, showing all the sword.

The goblin king scampered onto his throne in terror.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!" The goblin king shouted.

Seeing the retracted fear in their eyes, Sorom grabbed his own elven sword, revealing its black-edged blade. "Then say hello to _Anguirel_ , ugly!"

"No! Slash them!" Just when the king said that goblins began jumping on the party with most dogpiling on Sorom.

"Look what you put us in you fool!" Dwalin shouted to Sorom.

"Kiss my ass, baldy!" The explorer shot back.

"Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all!" The Goblin king shouted as they pinned the party to the ground with a goblin raising a dagger over Thorin while a Goblin raised a rusted axe over Sorom's neck.

"Crap…" The red-eyed young man gritted his teeth. There was no way for him to escape or use his magic. This could be the end for him.

"Cut off their heads!" The Goblin king shouted, pointing to Sorom and Thorin.

Just before the blades went down a bright light and a blast of wind sent the Goblins all to the ground and knocked the torture devices off the platform.

The light faded as quickly as it came and bathed the place in darkness.

The light slowly returned to reveal Gandalf who stood tall with his staff in his left hand and sword in his right hand.

"Take up arms, fight." Gandalf said as everyone began to regain their bearings. "Fight!" He shouted as he ran to the now standing horde of goblins.

With battle cries of their own, the company broke free from their jailers. The Dwarves working in tandem to knock the goblins away. Lightning kicked off two of the mutants, allowing Cloud to grab one of them out of the air then smack a group of Goblins off the platform. Noctis used his abilities to phase through the enemy attacks. Sorom retrieved his sword and started hacking at the disgusting creatures.

Gandalf smacked a few goblins with his staff and cuts down a few other goblins.

"He wields the Foehammer! The Beater! Bright as daylight!" The Goblin king shouted, recognizing the sword the wizard was wielding.

As they fought the goblin king moved to attack Thorin.

"Thorin!" Nori called, getting Thorin to turn in time to see the king raise his staff.

Thorin swung Orcrist as the goblin swung his staff and the two weapons clash with Orcrist overpowering the bigger sword and cause the king to stumble back before smashing into his throne and falling off the platform.

"Say hi to your mother for me, fatass!" Noctis shouted, summoning his Engine Blade to cut a goblin in half.

They continued fighting, killing many goblins before the number was down to a handful.

Gandalf swung his sword at a goblin and he drops to his knees, looking confused before Gandalf taps the side of his head, showing that it was cut off.

"Follow me, quick!" Gandalf said to the company.

"Let's go!" Lightning shouted after she recovered her gunblade and round buckler.

They all began running with Gandalf to find a way out of the goblin hoard all the while being chased by a large group of them.

The dwarves and humans fought with every part of their being. Swords cut into flesh, axes carved meat, and shields slammed into disgusting faces.

Dwalin saw multiple goblins running at them from in front and cuts the rope holding a wooden railing before he along with Fili, Nori, and Gloin use the railing to knock the goblins off the bridge they were running across.

The fighting kept going with the Dwarves, wizard, and humans running on bridges and cutting down any goblin that popped out of nowhere with Gloin knocking a goblin off the bridge they were on and shattering the bridge below them.

* * *

 **Crevice**

As Zidane and Bilbo ran away from Gollum, the Genome quickly stopped to look back. "Bilbo, we have to split up!" He informed the Hobbit.

"Okay!" Bilbo said without complaint as he runs in a random direction.

Zidane used his impressive agility to leap higher into the rocks then took off in a different direction from Bilbo.

Bilbo ran until he ended up at a fork in the road before stopping when he saw the creature crawling down a tunnel.

Thinking fast he ran to a small passage but when he tried to squeeze through his buttons kept him in place.

Soon the creature crawled back and saw him before running at him, stopping at the pass.

"It's ours! It's ours!" The creature screeched but Bilbo managed to get through with the buttons popping off and landing on the creature.

As Bilbo slipped through he fell onto his back and the ring he was holding popped out of his hand.

Bilbo reached for the ring but it slipped on to his right middle finger, turning him invisible.

Bilbo looked and everything looked different.

The creature soon came through but passed Bilbo like he wasn't even there.

"Thieves! Baggins! Tribals!" The creature screeched before moving off with Bilbo quietly following.

* * *

 **Goblin Town**

The company was running on a wood bridge with a group of Goblins chasing them. And that group was growing very quick.

"We need to soften the herd!" Cloud shouted, slashing three goblins in half with his combined Fusion Sword.

"Easier said than done with how quickly they are growing in numbers!" Sorom shouted as he cuts down two goblins before stabbing another through the chest.

They all fought hard, cutting down any and every Goblin that got in their way with Dwalin knocking Goblins off the bridge.

Dwalin saw a group charging from in front and cuts the ropes of a railing.

Dwalin and two other Dwarves grab the railing and use it to knock rows of goblins off the bridge with ease until the number was small enough to not worry about being overwhelmed.

Lightning noticed below that a swarm of the mutants were gathering to ambush the company. "Below!" She shouted, channeling a Ruinga in her palm then tossed a large black-white orb at the goblins. Cloud and Sorom followed suit by tossing a Thundaga and a Firaga respectively.

The spells collide with the beasts and either exploded in lightning, fire, or just magical energy, killing them.

Noctis looked ahead. "There's more coming!" He exclaimed.

"Move!" Gandalf shouted as he cuts down a goblin.

"Let's get going everyone!" Sorom ordered, slashing with Anduril and removing the head of an unlucky goblin that tried to attack Kili.

They ran but as they did they see goblins about to swing at them on ropes.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin ordered, cutting a piece of rope that held a bridge.

The others understood and cut some ropes before the bridge began to fall, catching the swinging goblins and sent many flying while some got tangled in rope and wood.

"Burn them!" Sorom commanded, as he, Noctis, Cloud, and Lightning sent Fira spells that burned the mutants to death.

Kili cuts down a goblin but soon saw several goblins shooting arrows at him which he miraculously blocked with his sword before he grabbed a wooden ladder.

He brings it forward and luckily blocked a few arrows before he brings it down on the goblins and began pushing them off the edge, using the ladder as a makeshift bridge.

"Come on quickly!" Gandalf called out as they crossed the bridge before Dwalin kicks it off, preventing the chasing goblins from following but that didn't stop others from jumping out of nowhere only to get cut down almost instantly.

"What the heck is our exit plan!?" Noctis shouted.

They soon reached a dead end via a drop but on the other side was another bridge.

Thorin cuts a piece of rope that held the bridge, releasing it and making it swing to the other side.

"Jump!" Thorin shouted before Bofur, Balin, Kili, Lightning, Noctis, and Ori jump onto the other bridge.

The others didn't have the chance to jump as the bridge swung back and goblins began jumping onto the swing.

They fought the abominations as the swing reached back to the bridge and they all jumped off.

Thorin cuts the rope that held the bridge, causing one side to fall and drops the chasing goblins into the abyss.

They continue running from the goblins as well as killing some but it felt like there was no end to them.

Bombur had multiple goblins on him even a few running up to him before he jumped, letting his weight shatter the bridge he was running on and the bridge under him but miraculously didn't destroy the third bridge.

Gandalf soon tapped his staff on a low ceiling, creating a boulder that rolled and crushed several goblins, clearing a path.

They continued fighting through until they reached a single bridge.

As they were about to cross the bridge the Goblin King smashed through, blocking their path while the others behind them was blocked by a very large group of goblins with a just as big group on the other side.

"Oh shit, tubby's back!" Noctis growled.

"How did he survive the fall?" Lightning inquired.

"Who cares!? Let's just kill him and run!" Sorom shouted.

"You thought you could escape me?" The goblin king taunted before he swung his staff, hitting the ground in front of Gandalf before swinging outward and causing Gandalf to lean back onto his comrades who kept him standing.

"Gandalf!" Cloud helped the wizard up along with several of the Dwarves.

"What are you going to do now wizard?" The king asked, only to be answered by Gandalf poking him in the eye with his staff.

This one action caused him to stumble a little before Gandalf sliced open his stomach.

"Ow!" The king shouted, dropping to his knees and holding his open wound. The king looked to the sides before nodding his head as he said, "That'll do it."

Gandalf finished the job by swinging his sword, slicing open the goblin's throats and causing him to fall onto the bridge.

When the large body hits the wooden floor, the bridge began to creak from the mass of weight.

Suddenly the bridge they were on snapped and they all began to slide down the rocky slope.

Some of the group screamed as they fell, smashing through goblin bridges until finally they stopped at the bottom unharmed but they were covered in wood and rope.

Gandalf was the first to climb out while everyone else was still under the wood.

"Well that could have been worse." Bofur said, before the goblin king's corpse smashed on top of them, crushing them in the process.

"Way to open your freaking mouth…" Sorom groaned.

"You have got to be joking?!" Dwalin growled.

It was at this moment that Zidane arrived from out of a cave. "Hey, guys! What're you doing under that disgusting troll?"

"You picked a real good time to arrive, monkey." Lightning growled sarcastically at the Genome.

Kili slowly looked around before his eyes widen in concern when he looked up the slope and shouted, "Gandalf!"

And he had a right to be concerned because running at them was a large group of goblins that seemed to be growing larger, far too many for them to fight.

"There's too many! We can't fight them!" Dwalin said as everyone was digging themselves out.

"Only one thing can save us, daylight! Come on! Here! On your feet!" Gandalf ordered as he assisted the Dwarves and heroes out of the pile.

"Balin." Oin said as he helped the elderly Dwarf.

"Come on! Run!" Cloud shouted, dragging Noctis out from the wreckage.

Soon they were all out of the wreckage and began running down a passage.

They ran for what seemed like minutes before they see daylight at the end of a rocky hall.

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

The creature that Bilbo was following now stopped at an intersection.

"Wait! My precious, wait! Gollum! Gollum!" The creature cried before he saw something approaching and crawled behind a rock.

Soon Bilbo sees Gandalf who stops at the cross and gestured people to keep moving before he sees the rest of his friends running.

Not sure what to do he remained silent until the last person who was Bombur ran past.

Bilbo takes out his sword and puts it at the creature's neck without touching.

Bilbo brings it back to cut the abomination's head off, only to stop when the creature turns to look in his direction or more specifically down the tunnel behind him.

Bilbo puts the sword at the being's neck without touching it and saw his face was expressing sorrow.

Bilbo looked at the creature before dropping his sword, feeling pity for him.

Soon coming to a decision he takes a few steps back as the creature's sorrowful expression turned into one filled with rage.

Bilbo runs and uses the creature as a spring to push him towards the exit of the cave and ran.

The creature screeched for a few seconds.

"Baggins! Tribals! Thieves!" The creature screeched before moving down a tunnel, "Curse 'em and crush 'em! We hates them forever!"

Bilbo runs down a hill after the company who continued to run to get some distance from the goblins until they finally stopped to take a breather.

"Five, six, seven, Bifur, Bofur. That's ten. Fili, Kili, that's twelve. Noctis, Lightning, Sorom, Cloud, Zidane. That's seventeen. And Bombur, that makes eighteen." Gandalf said counting how many were there before he saw they were missing one, "Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit?"

"Where is our hobbit?" Gandalf asked loudly with the group minus Zidane looking around.

"Curse that halfling! Now he's lost? I thought he was with Dori." Dwalin said loudly.

"Don't blame me." Dori said insulted.

"Well where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.

"I think I saw him slip away with Zidane when they cornered us?" Nori said.

"But what happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf said, only for Thorin to interject.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and took it. He's thought of nothing hit his soft bed and warm house since he first stepped out of his door. We will be not seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

"Can you hardly blame him?" Sorom shouted. "He wasn't meant for this kind of life."

"And most of you Dwarves demeaning him on this quest didn't help much." Lightning pointed out, folding her arms over her breastplate.

Noctis and Cloud kept silent while Zidane looked back at the caves, wondering if he should head back and look for the hobbit.

"No, he isn't." Said a familiar voice, causing everyone to turn to see Bilbo standing behind the group.

"Bilbo!" The heroes exclaimed.

"You're alive!" The Genome hugged the Hobbit. "You managed to escape that ugly frog."

"Glad to see you again, Master Baggins." Noctis nodded with a thin smile.

"You had us worried half to death." Sorom grinned.

"Bilbo Baggins, I've never been so glad to see someone in my entire life." Gandalf said in relief.

"Bilbo, we've given you up." Kili said with a smile.

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked.

"How indeed?" Dwalin asked in curiosity.

Bilbo was quiet for a while as he moved his coat and stealthy hid a familiar ring in his pocket with Gandalf catching a glimpse of it.

"Oh what does it matter? He's back." Gandalf said with a smile.

"Yep, but why did you come back?" Zidane asked. "You didn't have to come with us. You could've turned to the path down on Rivendell."

"Look, I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag-end. I miss my books. And my armchair and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back. Because… you don't have one. A home, it was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo said with conviction in his voice.

Everyone looked at the Hobbit with awe and respect, finding his conviction to be satisfying.

Up on top of the mountain, a familiar white orc on a white warg stood over a cliff.

" _ **Run them down! Tear them to pieces!"**_ Azog shouted as Wargs began running down the hill, howling and barking.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin started.

"And into the fire." Gandalf finished looking at them, "Run. Run!"

The company fled down the mountain while their foes trailed behind them. All the while, Lord Belmont watched the scurrying heroes with sinister eyes.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! Next chapter will feature the battle between the five travelers and our mysterious dragoon. Plus, it will mark the end of the first arc.**

 **Big thanks to Nexus Gundam for the assistance.**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter but inform me if there are any problems with it. Refrain from using flames or rude criticisms because I have a low tolerance for such things.**

 **If you continue to pester me aggressively then I will report you. Or delete your comments if you're guests.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	5. Azog's Revenge and the Black Dragoon

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of 'Unexpected Journey'.**

 **This chapter will mark the end of the first arc in the story. To which, we introduce Belmont with the five Travelers.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 _Italics -_ Elvish/Telepathy

 _ **Bold Italics**_ \- Black Speech

* * *

 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:** Azog's Revenge and the Black Dragoon

* * *

The company runs through the woods down the hill with a pack of Wargs on their tail.

"They still behind us?!" Zidane shouted, sprinting comically down the path.

"Wanna go back and take a look?" Cloud sarcastically asked.

"No thanks, I'm good!" The Genome chuckled nervously.

The sun was beginning to set and darkness soon encompassed the entire land, making it slightly hard to see what was below them but the moon and stars helped them see in the night.

The Wargs got close enough to try and strike the company.

A Warg jumped over Bilbo and faced him. Bilbo stepped back but a tree sat behind him and he drew his sword.

The Warg ran at Bilbo but he held his sword out as the blade stabbed into the beast's head and went through its brain, killing it instantly.

A Warg runs up to attack Balin but was killed by Thorin and Dwalin while another Warg runs up to the running Ori, who swings the hammer he held over his head with the weapon smashing into the beast's head and killing it.

They continue their run but soon found themselves at a cliff with nowhere left to go and orcs behind them.

"Now what the hell do we do?" Noctis asked, wondering if anyone had a plan.

"Gandalf, the trees!" Sorom gestured above them.

Seeing where Sorom was going, he said, "Up into the trees! All of you! Come on climb, Bilbo climb!"

As he said that, Bifur picks up a rock and chucks it at a charging Warg, causing it to fall over.

The Dwarves and heroes begin climbing but Bilbo was stopped when he tried to pull his sword from the Warg's thick skull.

"They're coming!" Thorin shouted after he heard a Warg's howl.

After a while he managed to do that but saw the approaching Wargs before he begins climbing.

When he got to a safe height, a large amount of Wargs were now running around below.

"Haha! Can't get us now, puppies!" Zidane stuck his tongue out at the Wargs.

"Don't antagonize them." Lightning scolded the Genome.

Gandalf looks around until he sees a moth with orange wings and stretched his staff to it, picking it up. He whispers to it before lightly blowing, sending the small creature off into the night sky.

Soon the Wargs stopped moving and looked back to see a white Warg along with a very familiar white orc with only one hand.

Thorin recognized the orc to his horror and said one word, "Azog…"

"That's him?" Noctis blinked his eyes.

"A lot uglier than I imagined." Cloud commented.

The white orc leaned forward and took a whiff of the air before saying, _**"Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it… Thorin, son of Thrain."**_

"It cannot be…" Thorin whispered.

" _ **That one is mine… kill the others!"**_ Azog shouted and the Wargs began attacking the trees they were on, tearing apart the bark and snapping branches.

Lightning shifted Overture into its gunblade and fired down at the monstrous canines, killing a few with well-placed headshots.

Noctis summoned a gun of his own, a revolver with a silver finish as he fired the weapon down at the advancing pack of Wargs.

Sorom summoned a bow and arrow, taking careful aim to hit his mark.

" _ **Drink their blood!"**_ Azog encouraged.

Soon a tree was uprooted and began falling to another tree.

"Oh crap!" Zidane exclaimed.

Soon the trees one by one fell like dominoes until they were all on a single tree that was standing right on the edge of the cliff.

"Shit!" Cloud cursed.

"Damn orcs…" Noctis grinded his teeth.

Azog laughed enjoying their torment.

Thinking fast, Gandalf grabbed a pine seed and casting a spell, setting it on fire. He tossed it down and sets branches on fire to create a small barrier.

Doing the same to another seed, he uses that seed to set another one on fire.

"Fili!" Gandalf called out as he passed Fili the pine which he catches and Bilbo placed a seed to it and sets it on fire.

Gandalf passes the burning seeds to the others who set more on fire and toss them at the Wargs, setting the ground in fire.

The Wargs run away with one of them on fire before Azog roared in anger.

The Dwarves cheer before the tree they were on began to tilt, causing many to grab on before it stopped just hanging over the cliff.

Ori loses his grip and falls but manages to grab Dori's leg much to his dismay.

The branch Lightning was using soon snapped and she was beginning to fall but Sorom grabbed her hand, saving her from becoming a mark on the forest floor below them.

"Mr. Gandalf!" Dori called out.

Thorin looks to see others were hanging for dear life.

Sorom's face was filled with strain as he tried to lift the rose-haired woman back up. "You're really heavy, Light." He grunted.

"Is that a fat joke?" The former Savior squeezed the explorer's hand, earning a grunt of pain from him.

Dori soon loses his grip but Gandalf lowered his staff, allowing the Dwarf to grab it.

Thorin looked to see Azog's smug expression and something snapped. The Dwarf Prince stands up and approached Azog, raising Orcrist and an makeshift shield from an oaken branch.

Azog acted first before Thorin by making his Warg jump, smacking its left paw into the Dwarf which smashed him into the ground.

Everyone was busy trying to stay on the tree as Thorin slowly got to his feet but Azog didn't give him the chance to do anything else as he slammed his mace into the Dwarf king's face, knocking him to the ground once again.

"Stop it!" Zidane yelled.

"No!" Balin shouted in anguish.

"Thorin!" Noctis shouted before his branch snapped, nearly sending him tumbling over the cliff until Cloud caught him by the collar of his jacket.

Bilbo looked in horror before getting onto his feet.

Azog's Warg soon clamped his mouth onto the Dwarf, sinking his teeth into the king.

Sorom managed to drag Lightning back onto the trunk of the tree.

The duo watching in shock as Thorin screamed in pain.

"Thorin!" Dwalin shouted, trying to move before the branch he was on snaps, causing him to hang on for dear life as it hung by a few pieces of wood.

Zidane came to Dwalin's rescue, grabbing the dwarf's arm and struggling to pull him up.

Thorin smashed the bottom of his hilt into the Warg's mouth but in doing so sent him flying onto a slab of stone.

"We've got to help him!" Sorom shouted after situating Lightning on the creaking tree.

Cloud pulled up Noctis by his collar, who rubbed his neck from the abuse his throat took due to the clothing material.

" _ **Bring me the Dwarf's head."**_ Azog ordered one of his underlings.

The orc climbs off his steed and walks to the downed Dwarf.

Finding his courage Bilbo drew his sword as the orc aimed his sword over Thorin's neck.

Thorin tries to reach for his sword but it was out of his grasp.

Sorom looked down at Anguirel, the sword forged from a star. There was a presence urging him to fight. To save the Dwarf prince.

His crimson eyes glanced at his fellow Travelers. The four of them nodded in understanding. The five warriors stood tall after recovering.

Unable to do anything but look as the orc raised his sword to remove his head as his vision swirled.

Until a familiar Hobbit knocked the orc onto its back.

The two fought before Bilbo finished the orc off when he stabbed it through the chest.

Thorin soon lost consciousness a second later.

Bilbo climbs off the orc and got between Azog and Thorin.

" _ **Kill him."**_ Azog ordered, his underlings moving towards the single hobbit, only for the others to come to his aid.

Fili and Kili attacked first, slashing with their swords to cut into the faces of the Wargs. Zidane attacked with his Mage Mashers, slicing the head of an orc rider clean off. Noctis warped in front of a Warg, kicking the mutated canine with his boot then smacking it with his Drain Lance. Lightning bashed an orc with her buckler while shooting its Warg with her gunblade. Cloud produced Vigilante and Vendetta to attack a pack of Wargs, his SOLDIER strength and agility granting him the necessary capabilities to smash and cleave the canines into meat pieces. Sorom wielded Anguirel to stab deep into the skull of a Warg as the gleaming blade carved into vile flesh and bone.

" _ **That sword!"**_ Azog growled, seemingly recognizing the sword in Sorom's hand.

The explorer looked at Azog then released a battle cry as he lunged at the pale Orc.

The orc made his Warg stand still as the explorer ran at him.

As this happened, the same moth that Gandalf released came back, suddenly Dori loses his grip and both he and Ori soon began to fall, only to land on the back of a giant eagle.

Soon more giant eagles flew in, catching everyone off guard.

"Eagles?" Zidane inquired.

"Giant eagles." Cloud blinked in surprise.

The giant eagles came in, picking up Wargs and tossing them off the side or knocking down trees which in turn crush more Wargs.

In doing this, angered Azog before an eagle came over and gently picked up Thorin with its talons.

" _ **Azog, forget the Dwarves. Kill the champions!"**_ Lord Belmont ordered as he descended from the sky.

Azog looked to said champions and made his Warg run at Sorom, swinging his mace when he got close. The explorer quickly raised Anguirel to block the blow but the force sent him flying.

Soon before Azog could go in for the kill an eagle flew past, snatching up Bilbo and dropping him onto the back of another eagle.

This happened again with the others one by one.

Azog roars in rage before looking to see who was still there and spotted Cloud.

Azog charged at the blonde sword wielder and swung his mace.

Cloud quickly combined Vigilante and Vendetta to form an incomplete version of the First Tsurugi, using the heavy blade to clash against Azog's mace, sending it flying from the pale Orc's grip.

The orc growled and swung his left arm, smacking the face hand into Cloud's chest.

The guardian of the Lifestream cartwheels in midair and lands on his feet, glaring at Azog and the mysterious black knight.

A cry caught his attention as an eagle flew over and snatched him off the ground before dropping him onto another eagle's back.

Zidane flipped over Azog, kicking off his face to grab an eagle's talons with his monkey tail.

Lightning and Noctis attacked the dragoon. Their swords clashing against the black spear of Lord Belmont.

Belmont reached over, grabbing Lightning by the face before lifting her into the air where he slammed her into the ground.

Not forgetting about Noctis he swung his spear, aiming for his throat. The prince phased past it and kicked off of the black dragoon, landing beside Lightning as she recovered from the hit.

Belmont growled in annoyance as he stood up, glaring at the two remaining heroes.

"I admit, you're rather persistent." Belmont spoke in clear-cut English. "But you cannot stop what will descend upon these lands, otherworlders." His yellow eyes glowed behind his helm. "Your deaths will be agonizing."

Noctis glared at him before seeing an eagle coming up behind him.

"But not today." Noctis said as the eagle flew past Belmont, snatching both Noctis and Lightning off the ground.

Belmont snarled before releasing a calm breath. _**"Azog, return to the fortress and rally your hunting parties. The champions and their allies will perish. And destroy the sword wielded by the crimson-eyed human. It's power is unknown even to Sauron."**_

" _ **As you wish."**_ Azog answered in rage at not being able to kill Thorin.

* * *

 **Later…**

As the party fled from the orcs by riding upon the eagles, everyone looked in concern at the unconscious Dwarf prince.

Soon they were brought to a tall mountain where the eagle carrying Thorin gently set him down.

Gandalf was the first to climb off and runs over to a Thorin.

"Thorin!" Gandalf said in concern, running to him before stopping when he saw he was not waking up, "Thorin."

Soon the others got off their eagles and looked to their fallen king.

"Is he alright?" Zidane asked with worry.

"I don't know…" Cloud answered softly.

Sorom, Noctis, and Lightning kept silent, fearing the worse that might happen.

Gandalf soon placed his hand over Thorin's forehead and began casting a spell before Thorin opens his eyes, breathing.

"The halfling?" Thorin asked.

"It's alright, Bilbo is here. Quite safe." Gandalf said, moving away to reveal said hobbit.

"He saved your life." Noctis added with a grin.

"The guy's a hero!" The lone Genome of the party cheered with a wide smile.

Dwalin and Kili both helped Thorin to his feet before moving away when they were sure he wouldn't need any more help.

"You…" Thorin said, getting everyone's full attention, "what were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!"

Thorin slowly approached Bilbo saying, "Did I not say you would be a burden, that you would not survive in the wild, and that you had no place amongst us?"

There was a moment of silence as Thorin stood in front of Bilbo.

Lightning was about to intervene if the Dwarf prince tried to hurt the Hobbit until Noctis placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

The former Savior quelled her anger as the five warriors watched the interaction between Thorin and Bilbo.

"I've never been so wrong, in all my life." Thorin stated, grabbing the hobbit in a hug, and this in turn caused the other Dwarves to cheer.

Thorin pulled back and said, "I am sorry I ever doubted you."

"No I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, or a warrior," Bilbo said calmly. "Not even a burglar." Bilbo said with humor before the eagles flew away.

"The second one may not be true…" Noctis replied with good measurement.

"Or the third." Lightning stated bluntly.

"But you're definitely a hero in your own right, Bilbo Baggins." Sorom complimented with a nod.

Soon Thorin saw something that had his full attention.

Bilbo saw what he was looking at and turned around to see what he was seeing.

"Is that... what I think it is?" Bilbo asked, getting their full attention.

What everyone saw was a giant open field but standing tall in the distance, was a single mountain shrouded in mist.

"Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, the last of the Great Dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth." Gandalf said to the group.

"Our home." Thorin said with hope.

"And the dwelling of a fire-breathing dragon." Noctis added dryly.

"I've always wanted to fight one." Zidane grinned with his teeth revealed.

"You're such a child at times." Lightning shook her head.

Soon they hear a bird chirping.

"A raven. The birds are returning to the mountain." Oin said, pointing to a single bird that was flying towards the mountain.

"That my dear Oin, is a Thrush." Gandalf corrected.

"But we'll take it as a sign. A good omen." Thorin said with a smile.

"Your right. I do believe the worst of it's behind us." Bilbo said with a sigh of relief.

Sorom however didn't think so, "Let's not celebrate just yet. We've still got a long way to go before we can complete this quest."

"And we still have an angry orc and a deadly dragoon on our tails." Cloud added.

The travelers knew for sure that this wasn't going to be the last time that they would meet the Black Dragoon. Not by a longshot.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

The Thrush flies towards the Lonely Mountain, migrating from the west…

The Thrush soon found a spot, grabbing a seed where it proceeded to smack it against the wall, seemingly creating an echo inside the mountain.

The echo went through the entire kingdom before gold coins flew away from a scaly snout.

The snout moves, causing the coins to slide down and reveal a closed eye which opens to reveal a reptilian eye.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for the chapter. Despite how small it is, I** _ **was**_ **going to do a big battle with Belmont and our five heroes but I decided to save that for Arc III.**

 **Big thanks to Nexus Gundam for the assistance.**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter but inform me if there are any problems with it. Refrain from using flames or rude criticisms because I have a low tolerance for such things.**

 **If you continue to pester me aggressively then I will report you. Or delete your comments if you're guests.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	6. Evading the Hunt

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of 'Unexpected Journey'.**

 **This chapter will mark the beginning of the second arc. A new character will be introduced in this one as well, Belmont's mysterious sister.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Final Fantasy or the Hobbit. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 _Italics -_ Elvish/Telepathy

 _ **Bold Italics**_ \- Black Speech

* * *

 **Final Fantasy: An Unexpected Journey**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:** Evading the Hunt

* * *

Bilbo raises his head over a boulder, watching as Azog and his orc pack ran on the adjacent mountain. As he did he heard a growl to his right, causing him to look to see a very big black bear, watching the orcs.

Bilbo slowly ducked down and made his way back to his companions.

"What did you see?" Cloud questioned, Vigilante prepared in case of a fight.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more. But that is not the worst of it." Bilbo said, reaching the group.

Lightning raised a brow. "How could it not be the worst of it?"

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked.

"If they did, we'd be dead." Noctis stated.

"Not yet. But they will do." Bilbo answered.

"We have another problem." Bilbo said but before he could say anything else Gandalf said, "Did they see you? They saw you."

"No, that's not it." Bilbo answered.

"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." Gandalf said, getting the Dwarves to chatter.

"Will you listen? Will you just… listen?"Bilbo said, getting their attention, "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."

"That black dragoon?!" Sorom inquired, tightening his grip on Anguirel.

"No, it's something else." Bilbo answered.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" The wizard asked.

"Ye-yes, but bigger. Much bigger." Bilbo replied, bewildered that Gandalf knew what he was talking about.

"Is it an enemy?" Zidane wondered, his tail twitching behind him.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked.

Gandalf just moved slightly away from the group.

"I say we double back." Bofur voted.

"And be run down by a pack of orcs?" Thorin countered.

"We've dealt with them before. We can handle a couple more." Noctis added with a small shrug.

"There is a house…" Gandalf started, getting their attention, "it's not far from here, where we might take refuge."

"Who's house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked.

"Who cares?!" Lightning interjected. "As long as it keeps us safe, we have no choice but to go there."

"Neither. He will help us or… he will kill us." Gandalf answered Thorin's question.

"Oh, well, that's reassuring…" Cloud dryly said.

"What choice do we have?" Thorin asked, only for them all to hear the creature's roar which sounded very close.

"None." Gandalf said plainly.

"Then we need to start running or we're all orc bait." Sorom stated.

* * *

They all run towards a single direction, following Gandalf. They run through forests and fields while being chased by the orcs.

"Come on!" Gandalf shouted as they ran through an open field. Minutes passed and they soon found themselves in a forest.

They hear a roar, drawing their attention.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf shouted.

"Run!" Thorin shouted.

"It's getting closer!" Zidane exclaimed.

"Bombur come on!" Thorin shouted, dragging the fat Dwarf.

"To the house! Run!" Gandalf shouted as they ran to a giant house.

As they ran Bombur began passing them as if he was running for his life.

"The hell is wrong with him?" Noctis inquired.

"Uh, maybe it's that!?" Sorom exclaimed in shock as he gestured behind the party.

"Come on, get inside." Gandalf ushered to the Dwarves as a giant black bear bursts out of the forest.

"Holy crap!?" Zidane yelled in fright.

"The heck is that thing?!" Lightning questioned in surprise.

"Some kind of Behemoth!" Cloud narrowed his eyes.

"Open the door!" Gandalf shouted, running to the house.

"Quickly!" Thorin shouted before he opened said door, allowing them all to run in.

The Dwarves began closing the door but they see a giant bear muzzle push through the opening, roaring.

"Good gods!" Sorom punched the beast in the nose after it tried to take a bite out of him.

"Push!" Both Kili and Dori shouted.

Cloud, Lightning, and Noctis helped push the door with the help of all the Dwarves.

Bilbo and Zidane stepped back, readying their blades.

They finally got the door closed, keeping the bear out.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host." Gandalf said, getting their attention.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Zidane inquired, honestly confused.

"His name is Beorn. And he's a skin-changer." Gandalf clarified.

Noctis rubbed the back of his head, "What's a skin-changer?"

"Sometimes he's a huge black bear. Sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable but the man can be reasoned with. However he is not overly fond of Dwarves." Gandalf said to the company.

"Uh, does that happen to be passed on to humans as well?" Sorom questioned.

"No." Gandalf answered, walking away.

"Well, sucks to be you guys right now." Noctis remarked, gesturing to the Dwarves.

"He has a low tolerance for humans." Gandalf added.

"And now I'll shut up." The Lucian Prince deflates.

They hear growling, causing all to look at the door.

"He's leaving." Ori said from the door.

"Come away from there." Dori said pulling Ori away from the door, "It's not natural. None of it. It's obvious. He's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own." Gandalf said to the Dwarf. "All right, now get some sleep. All of you. You'll be safe here tonight." The wizard begins taking off his hat before he added quietly, "I hope."

"Oh, great reassurance, old man." Cloud rolled his eyes.

* * *

 **Later That Night…**

* * *

The black bear navigated through the woods, searching for something but a fair distance away Azog and another orc watched it.

" _ **Why do you hesitate, Azog?"**_ Lord Belmont questioned the pale orc as he appeared in a whisk of black smoke.

" _ **The beast stands guard."**_ Azog answered, walking to the rest of the orc pack.

" _ **Hmph, merely an obstacle that I would gladly destroy."**_ Belmont smirked behind his helm. _**"Let us give them a reprieve for tonight. Come tomorrow, they will die."**_

Soon they hear something approaching.

Bursting through the brush a Warg ran out, stopping in front of Azog.

" _ **They are gathering in Dol Guldur. The master has summoned you!"**_ The orc rider said, causing Azog to growl.

" _ **Begone, Azog,"**_ Lord Belmont commanded. _**"I shall follow the Dwarves and their human allies from above."**_

With a growl and a reluctant nod, the Pale Orc mounted his Warg and took off, followed by several of his underlings.

Lord Belmont looked back at the home of the skin-changer. His yellow eyes staring into the dark orbs of the scarred bear. With a smirk, he vanished into the shadows.

* * *

 **The Next Morning…**

* * *

Sorom shuffled in his knapsack, Anguirel by his side as he slept peacefully. Noctis laid on one of the carrying bags to use as a makeshift pillow. Lightning, unintentionally, was sleeping by the Lucian Prince's side with her head resting on his stomach. Zidane snores away beside the Dwarves along with Bilbo. Cloud slept by the window, Vengeance resting on his lap in case they were attacked.

They were one by one woken up by an axe cutting blocks of wood.

"What is that sound?" Bofur asked groggy.

"Wood being chopped…" Cloud stood up faster than physically possible. His hand gripping Vengeance tightly as he checked through the window to get a good look at who it is. "There's a man out there."

The Dwarves began arguing, unintentionally waking the other heroes up.

"Gods, can you guys get any louder?" Zidane groaned, rubbing his eyes.

Lightning opened her eyes until she noticed her face was on Noctis's chest. With a faint blush, the rosette removed herself from the Crown Prince in embarrassment.

Sorom sat up with a yawn, grabbing hold of his elven blade. "Breakfast time?" He mumbled.

He was answered by an axe cutting wood.

The Dwarves continue discussing.

"I say we should leg it and slip the back way." Nori suggested.

"I'm not running from anyone, beast or no." Dwalin countered.

"There's no point in arguing, we cannot pass through the wilderland without Beorn's help. You'll be hunted down only if we get to the forest." Gandalf stated.

"Then why not introduce ourselves?" Zidane suggested as he marched over to the door to greet the skin-changer with a cheerful grin.

Only to stop when he heard the axe cut wood again, much louder this time.

"So, do you still want to talk to a guy who is armed with an axe?" Cloud asked.

"I'm starting to rethink my decision." The Genome gulped.

Gandalf soon noticed Bilbo and said, "Bilbo, there you are. This will require some delicate handling. We must tread very carefully; the last person to startle him was torn to shreds. I'll go first, then Bilbo."

"Excellent, you can be the meat shield while Bilbo becomes the main course." Lightning sarcastically remarked.

"Why thank you for offering your assistance, Lady Lightning." Gandalf said with a smile.

"Wait, what?" The former Savior looked at the wizard with a narrowed stare.

"You considered me a meat shield and Bilbo the main course so that makes only right that you, are the dessert." Gandalf said, still smiling.

"I'm seriously gonna kill you one day." She growled in irritation.

"Relax, Light, he didn't mean it." Noctis calmed the rosette.

"Now come along." Gandalf said, walking to the door.

With a reluctant sigh, Lightning gestured for Bilbo to follow her. "Come on."

All three walked out as Beorn continued chopping wood.

"You're nervous." Bilbo said to Gandalf.

"Nervous? Not nervous." The Wizard did have emotions of that but did his best to stay calm. "Good morning." He said to Beorn but was ignored. When they got closer, the wizard attempted to get the skin changer's attention, "Good morning."

"Who are you?" Beorn asked.

"I'm Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey." Gandalf introduced himself and bowed.

Beorn has laid the axe blade onto the ground and turned to face them, "Never heard of him."

"Ouch," Lightning grinned in amusement. "That must hurt."

"I'm a wizard, perhaps you heard of my colleague, Radagast the Brown. He resides in the southern borders of Mirkwood." Gandalf said.

"What do you want?" The skin changed Asked.

"Well simply to thank you for your hospitality. You may have noticed we took refuge in your lodgings last night." The wizard spoke to thank the skin changer and pointed to the house.

"Who is this little fellow?" Beorn asked as he spotted Bilbo.

"Oh this would be Mr. Baggins from the Shire." Gandalf introduces Bilbo as he came out.

"He's not a Dwarf, is he?" Asked the skin changer in a rather hostile tone as he prepares his axe.

"Well no, he's a Hobbit, good family." Gandalf clarified.

"And her?" Beorn asked, less hostile.

"I'm Lightning. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." The woman nodded at the hairy man.

"A Halfling, a wizard, and a woman. How come you're here?" Beorn asked as the blade touched the ground.

"Oh well, the fact is that we had a bad time with it, from Goblins in the mountains." Said Gandalf.

"What did you go near Goblins for? Stupid thing to do." Beorn said to them.

"There it is, go, go." Bofur heard the conversation and signaled the Dwarves and other heroes to come out.

Beorn prepared his axe as Dwalin and Balin came out. The two Dwarf brothers introduced themselves.

"I must confess, several of our group are in fact Dwarves." Gandalf admitted.

"Do you call two several?" Beorn asked.

"Well I put it that way…" Gandalf could not find what to say next.

"Go go," Bofur ushered.

"Wait, that's us." Gloin said as he and his brother came out.

"Oh and here's some more of our happy troop." Gandalf spoke as he forgot to introduce the brothers.

"And do you call seven a troop? What are you? A traveling circus?" Beorn asked.

"With how much our party gets into trouble? I suppose we could be." Lightning remarked.

Soon all of the Dwarves and the heroes came out of hiding, introducing themselves...

...And later Beorn made them breakfast.

However, it was rather awkward considering the skin-changer didn't really like the Dwarves.

"So… nice place you got here." Zidane comments while munching on a honeyed roll.

Beorn simply ignored him focusing on Thorin, "So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me… why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

"You know of Azog? How?"

"My people were the first to live in the mountain… before the orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work, you understand… but for sport. Caging skin-changers… and torturing them seemed to amuse him." Beorn recalled and the shackles on his left arm are seen.

"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.

"Once there were many."

"And now?"

"Now there is only one. You need to reach the the mountain before the last day of Autumn."

"Before Durin's day fall, yes." Gandalf answered.

"What happens then?" Noctis asked, drinking his pint of milk.

"You are running out of time." Beorn said to everybody.

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Said the wizard.

"A darkness lies upon the forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the orcs of Moria and the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need." Beorn warned.

"We don't have any other choice then." Cloud stated.

"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe."

"Safe? The wood elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more aggressive. But it matters not." Beorn countered the statement.

"What do you mean?" Thorin asked.

"These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing. And you are on foot. You will never reach… the forest alive. I don't like Dwarves. They're greedy and blind. Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own. But orcs I hate more. What do you need?"

* * *

After Thorin made his request, Beorn lent the thirteen Dwarves and the Hobbit ponies while Gandalf and the five otherworlders borrowed horses.

Before they left, Beorn gave them a few supplies for the journey ahead.

"You'll leave my ponies before you enter the forest?" Beorn requested.

"You have my word." Gandalf spoke with certainty. Crows take off into the sky and he noticed something, "We're being watched."

"Yes, the orcs will not give up. They will hunt the Dwarves and their friends until they see them destroyed."

"Why now? What makes the Defiler crawl from his hole?"

"There's an alliance between the orcs of Moria and the sorcerer of Dol Guldur."

"You're sure of this?"

"Packs have been seen gathering there. Each day, more and more come. Do you know the sorcerer?"

"The one they call the Necromancer."

"I know he is not what he seems. Fell things are drawn to his power. Azog…"

"Gandalf, time is wasting." Thorin called over.

"There is more, not long past words spread, dead had been seen walking near the High Fells of Rhudaur." said Beorn.

"The dead?"

"Is it true? Are there tombs in those mountains?"

Gandalf remembered the history Galadriel spoke of, "When Angmar fell, the Men of the North took his body and all that he possessed and sealed it within the High Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried him in a tomb so dark it would never come to light."

"Yes, there are tombs there."

"I remember a time; a great evil ruled these lands. One powerful enough to raise the dead. If that enemy has returned to Middle-Earth, I will have you tell me."

"Saruman the White says that it is not possible. The enemy is destroyed and will never return."

"What does Gandalf the Grey say?" Beorn asked, but he was not answered as all there could be heard were caws of crows. "Go now. While you have light. Your hunters are not far behind." Said the skin-changer.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir." Sorom nodded in thanks at the large man.

"Your thanks... is appreciated." The skin-changer replies.

"Good luck." Lightning offered.

* * *

They all began their journey through open plains which took an hour until they found themselves at the entrance of what could only be described as a dead forest.

"What is this place?" Zidane asked, a bit disturbed by this dreadful feeling surrounding him.

"This is Mirkwood." Gandalf answered, climbing off his horse.

"It feels… dead." Noctis admitted. "It's like something evil is surrounding the whole forest."

Gandalf walks to the mouth of the forest and found some plant life that hadn't died... yet.

"The elven gate." Gandalf muttered. "Here lies our path through Mirkwood." The wizard said to them all.

"I don't see any orcs, we have luck on our side." Dwalin stated.

Gandalf looked and noticed a single black bear on a mountain.

"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf instructed.

"This forest feels, sick. As if a disease lies upon it." Bilbo pointed out, "Is there no way around?"

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, we are twice that distance, south." Gandalf answered.

"Then it seems we've got no choice but to travel through this forest." Lightning stated.

"Oh, that's comforting," Zidane remarked sarcastically. "Go through the scary dark forest."

Cloud shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time…" He stated.

Gandalf advances into the forest to investigate while Bilbo, who looked concerned, reached into his shirt pocket and fingered the ring that he took from Gollum's Cave.

While the Dwarves and their human companions worked to set the horses and ponies free, Noctis approached Sorom after he set his steed free.

"What is it, Noct?" The explorer asked.

"Something about this forest doesn't feel right…" The prince answered.

Sorom raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it… but I feel uneasy about it. There's something in that place that feels… evil," Noctis replied.

"Well, whatever happens, Gandalf will tell-" The young man was interrupted when the wizard called out.

"Not my horse! I need it!"

This drew many surprised looks from the company with Bilbo being the most vocal, "You're not leaving us?"

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf informed the Halfling. Bilbo looked down, a bit upset that his friend would be leaving, which the wizard caught. "You've changed… Bilbo Baggins." He faced Bilbo with a critical look in his eyes, "You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire."

The Hobbit froze, looking a little afraid, believing that Gandalf knew about the ring he had on him, "I was going to tell you." He said, nervously. He was silent for a few seconds before he worked up the nerve to speak. "I…" He took a quick inhale then exhaled. "...found something in the Goblin tunnels."

"Found what?" Gandalf inquired with his eyes narrowed.

Zidane looked at Bilbo, wondering if the Hobbit was going to tell the wizard about their encounter with Gollum.

Bilbo stayed silent for a few seconds as his fingers held the ring in his pocket, debating mentally if he should reveal what he found…

Noticing the Halfling's pause, Gandalf asked again. "What did you find?"

This was it. Bilbo had to say what he needed to say then spoke... "My courage." He lied, instantly regretting that he hid something that might be important right now but couldn't risk losing the ring right now.

It was at that moment that rain began to fall.

Gandalf stared at Bilbo for a second before replying, "Good. Well, that's good." He stood back up with a smile, which Bilbo returned… then frowned. "You'll need it." The wizard strolled over to his horse. "I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe" He informed the company before stopping near Thorin. "Do not enter that mountain without me." He gave a stern look to the Dwarf Prince.

"Gandalf, what can we expect in there?" Lightning asked the wizard.

"This is not the Greenwood of old." He answered. "There is a stream in the woods that carries a dark enchantment. Do not touch the water." He warned. "Cross only by the stone bridge. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." Gandalf mounted his steed.

"Lead us astray?" Bilbo repeated quietly. "What does that mean?"

"It means, there's a chance we'll be lost…" Zidane answered softly.

Gandalf looked at the party of warriors and the Hobbit. "You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." He warned them all. With that said, the grey-garbed wizard turned his horse and trotted off. "No matter what comes, stay on the path!"

Thorin, leading the party, gestured to his companions. "Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day."

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo repeated as the Dwarves and humans entered the forest.

"Let's go." Bofur told the Hobbit.

"It is our one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin stated.

The Oakenshield Company entered the Mirkwood as dark clouds toiled overhead and rain battered down. Each member of the group feeling dread in their hearts as they advanced deeper into the tainted forest…

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

* * *

As the party of heroes traveled into the woods, Lord Belmont materialized at the edge of the Mirkwood. _**"The fools have entered the forest… A shame I can't be there to watch their end."**_

Before the black dragoon could mockingly laugh, a powerful aura drew his attention.

" _ **Ah, I was wondering when you would come… sister,"**_ Belmont said in the language of Mordor.

From out of the forest, a spectral being, feminine in shape and cloaked in pristine white clothes, approached the knight. _"Brother Belmont… why must you do this?"_ She spoke in the Elvish language, her voice melodic and alluring to even the most black-hearted of mortals.

" _ **Celina, what I do here will be for the betterment of the universe. I will destroy all mortals… even if I have to go through you to do it, sister."**_ Belmont coldly remarked.

Celina looked visibly saddened, _"Oh, brother… do not make me do this."_

" _ **Too late, sister. You've already called for your Champions. I will deal with them soon enough…"**_ With that said, the dragoon turned away with a wave of his cape as he vanished into the shadows, leaving his sister behind before she too vanished into thin air.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally done. I've been meaning to upload this chapter for a while but I had lost interest in it for almost a year. Thankfully, rewatching the Hobbit got me back into it.**

 **Now I don't know how the encounter with the Wood Elves will go over with next chapter but I'm pretty sure you guys and gals can guess what may happen.**

 **Review and comment if you like. Like it, hate it, but just know that you've read it, fool!**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


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